#TBT: Aaron Brooks literally throws backwards
When Aaron Brooks arrived in New Orleans in 2000, he came as a breath of fresh air for a franchise that desperately needed one.
In his first pro start, Brooks guided the Saints to a 31-24 upset of the St. Louis Rams, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat the previous year's Super Bowl champion on the road in his first start. Later that year, he guided the team to its first playoff win in franchise history.
Brooks' first year with the team was the high point.
The low point came in 2004 in a game against the San Diego Chargers. Brooks dropped back to pass, was swarmed by the Chargers' pass rush, and, in an apparent effort to avoid a sack, chose to throw the ball backwards.
Of course, that misdirected throw was ruled a lateral, forcing running back Deuce McAllister to run back and pick the ball up for what went down as a 25-yard loss.
The Chargers' quarterback at the time was Drew Brees, who, two years later, would become the Saints' starter after signing with the team as a free agent prior to the start of the 2006 season.
Brooks was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in November.