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MADISONVILLE, La. — Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), chair of the 75^th Washington Mardi Gras, has announced that former New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees will reign as King of the 2024 ball. Camille Morrison, a rising sophomore at Texas Christian University (TCU), will be Queen of the celebration. The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians has organized the event for more than 60 years.

“Washington Mardi Gras has always been a celebration of Louisiana’s unmatched spirit and strength. Louisiana is the most interesting state in America and should never be reluctant to remind the world of our value and our values. I can’t think of a better ambassador for that message than Drew Brees. He and Camille have already made our state proud and will make the 75th Washington Mardi Gras’s festival particularly joyous,” said Kennedy.

Brees led the New Orleans Saints to its first ever Super Bowl championship and spent 20 seasons as an NFL quarterback, where he set the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

“This is one of the greatest celebrations for the state of Louisiana each year. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase the great culture and tradition we share as a state with our nation’s leaders in our nation’s capital. It’s an absolute honor to be chosen as the King for the 75^th anniversary of Washington Mardi Gras. This year will be one to remember!” said Brees.

“I am honored to have been chosen by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianans to serve as Queen for the 75^th anniversary of Washington Mardi Gras and am proud to help celebrate the Krewe’s historic 75th Anniversary year,” said Morrison.

Morrison is the daughter of Shane and Sarah Morrison. A native of Baton Rouge, she is pursuing a degree in business at TCU and is a member of the Rho Epsilon chapter of Chi Omega sorority. Morrison also enjoys volunteering her time with The Make a Wish Foundation in Fort Worth.

In addition to the Brees and Morrison, the ball’s royal court will include princesses selected by members of Congress, festival queens from across Louisiana, and krewe members. The annual parade will take place at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Washington Mardi Gras is an annual celebration entering its 75th year. The origin of the festivities dates back to the 1940’s, when Louisiana business leaders sought to bring a taste of Louisiana Mardi Gras to its homesick Louisiana Congressional delegation and staffers during the Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras day. The multi-day event and its signature costume ball and parade (featuring a king, queen and royal court of princesses and Louisiana festival queens) has been operating for 68 of those years under the direction of “The Mystick Krewe of Louisianans” (a 500-member krewe consisting of men and women from Louisiana and Washington, DC). The Mystick Krewe is managed by The Washington Mardi Gras Corporation and its five-member board, commonly referred to as its Senior Lieutenants. For more information on the krewe and its history, please see the krewe website, www.mkofl.com.

Drew Brees biography: 

Brees is the 2009 Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. A native of Austin, Texas, Brees attended Westlake High School and lettered in football, basketball and baseball and as a senior in 1996 led his football team to a perfect 16-0 record and the 5A State Championship while garnering 5A Offensive Player of the Year honors.

He attended Purdue University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from the prestigious Krannert School of Management while lettering in football from 1997-2000. A two-time Heisman finalist, Brees led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance during the 2000 season. In that same year, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top collegiate player as well as being named Academic All-American Player of the Year and was a recipient of the National Football Foundation’s post-graduate scholarship.

In Brees’ five years with the San Diego Chargers and 15 years with the New Orleans Saints, he was elected to 13 Pro Bowls while being named 2004 Comeback Player of the Year, 2006 All-Pro Team, 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, 2008 and 2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP.

As much pride as Brees takes in his on-field performance, he takes even more pride in his community service endeavors. Drew and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003 and since then have contributed more than $50,000,000 to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need. Brees has also proudly participated in five USO trips visiting Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Turkey, Djibouti, Dubai, Okinawa and Guantanamo Bay. Drew has invested heavily in the Louisiana business community, opening multiple business locations and employing more than 1,000 people.

Drew has been married to Brittany for more than 20 years, and they have four children, Baylen, Bowen, Callen and Rylen.

Camille Morrison biography:

A 2022 graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, Camille Elizabeth Morrison was a three-year academic letter recipient, a member of the soccer team and an active participant in the French Club, Mu Alpha Theta and Beta Club. She was also the recipient of a community service award for volunteering over 50 hours a year.

Camille is a certified scuba diver and loves to experience new places while traveling internationally with her family, creating vlogs to document their adventures. Camille also enjoys spending time with her friends and baking.