Drew Brees' facial mark (seen above) might look like a scar, but he actually had it his whole life, he told CNN in 2012. And having it wasn't always easy. "Because of my birthmark, which I was obviously born with, I got all kinds of comments when I was a kid. 'Wipe that whatever off your face.' This and that. I got all kinds of nicknames. People called me Spot," Brees said.
While the future record-shattering quarterback knew his peers had the worst intentions, he also had the perfect reason to brush them all off. "I just remember my mom telling me when I was a kid, 'Hey, that's where an angel kissed you. So, nobody can say anything.' Which, I guess that's the way I handled it," he said, adding he thinks that is why he learned to use "it as motivation." And as such, his birthmark became a trait that set him apart from others. "Instead of seeing it as a bad thing, I chose to see it as something that made me unique and special," he wrote in his 2010 book "Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity" (via ABC News).
Despite having earned millions in his career, Brees never considered removing it. "I wouldn't consider cutting off my arm. Neither would I cut off my birthmark," he wrote. It sure sounds like Brees' parents did a great job teaching him to stand above bullying and see the bigger picture!
