William Carey scores a touchdown with scholarship dinner speakers Drew Brees, Sarah Thomas

William Carey University's football savvy just got kicked up a notch with speakers Drew Brees and Sarah Thomas headlining its annual Tradition campus scholarship dinner.

The event will be May 13 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi.

Brees, an NFL MVP and former New Orleans Saints quarterback, led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010.

He played in the NFL for 20 years, including 15 years with the Saints, before retiring in 2021.

Brees and his wife Brittany established the Brees Dream Foundation "to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need," according to the foundation's website.

He also has numerous business ventures with investments in Everbowl craft superfood franchises, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux; Dunkin' restaurants; Jimmy John’s sandwiches; and more.

Thomas, a Pascagoula native who now lives in Brandon, is the NFL's first full-time female official and the first woman to officiate at a Super Bowl.

She also has personal ties to William Carey University. Her son Bridley Thomas plays baseball for the university.

Thomas will officiate at the dinner as she interviews Brees, who will share stories about his NFL career, leadership principles and philanthropic endeavors, WCU officials said on their website.

WCU announced in February it is expanding its Tradition campus with two new buildings that will include a dormitory, full-service cafeteria and a high-tech nursing simulation lab. The campus currently is a commuter-based facility.

“Our Tradition campus now accounts for more than 20 percent of William Carey’s enrollment," WCU President Ben Burnett said in a statement. "We think these proposed additions will provide the spark needed to bring more attention to the Gulf Coast campus.”

WCU has been known to pull in some heavy lifters for its scholarship dinners. In October, actor and author Kirk Cameron gave the keynote speech at WCU's 2023 scholarship dinner in Hattiesburg. Other recent guest speakers include former NFL player Tim Tebow and neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson.

Tickets to the Tradition dinner with Brees and Thomas are $175 per person. Burnett said he is hoping to host roughly 1,000 guests. For ticket information, visit wmcarey.edu or email Jenifer Freridge at jfreridge@wmcarey.edu.

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Drew Brees, Sarah Thomas to speak at Carey scholarship dinner