It started over beers in a quiet Cambridge pub. Andrew Topp looked across the table at Jimmy Graham and said something most people wouldn’t say to a former NFL Pro Bowler. “Brother, you’re the only human being I could do this with,” Topp told him. “The only one I could be on a boat alone with that long. It’s a life goal of mine to row across the ocean.” For Jimmy Graham and Andrew Topp, it was the start of an adventure. A gruelling, unforgiving and demanding adventure. The Arctic Challenge.
600 miles of non-stop rowing through freezing seas and tumultuous weather. There are more people who have been to the moon than have rowed the Arctic Ocean. And now, in July 2025, Jimmy Graham put his name on that esteemed list. Joined by three teammates, Andrew Tropp, Hannah Huppi, and John Huppi, Graham completed the challenge in just 10 days, breaking the previous record of 15. The group set off on July 4 from Tromsø, Norway, rowing to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and arrived on July 14. When Graham pitched the idea to former Saints Coach Dennis Allen, he couldn’t believe it. “Holy s—. That was my first reaction.” Interestingly, he wasn’t the only one from the team to marvel at Jimmy.
Drew Brees took to Instagram to share his appreciation, writing, “What an incredible feat!!” Their bond runs deep. During his Hall of Fame speech in 2024, Brees scanned a crowd of former teammates and paused when he spoke about Graham. “But the thing I learned most about this game and about playing for this organization,” Brees said that day, “was how to be a great teammate. And I learned that because I was surrounded by great teammates. Every day.”
Graham was in the audience, as much a symbol of that era as anyone. Over four seasons together, Brees and Graham connected for 51 touchdowns. In 2013, Graham logged 99 catches for 1,310 yards and 11 scores—one of the most dominant seasons a tight end has ever posted. The Saints became an offensive machine. Brees made impossible throws. Graham made impossible catches. And together, they made each other better.
That’s what made the 2015 trade that sent Graham to Seattle so jarring. “I’m as shocked as everyone else,” Brees told anchor Alex Flanagan at the time. “I love the guy.” For his part, Graham tried to brush off the rumors of tension. “Nah,” he told ESPN. “No, Drew’s my guy. I love Drew.”
Teammates and coaches always said the same thing: when Graham trusts you, he’ll go to the ends of the earth with you. Or, as it turns out, the ends of the Arctic.
He’s never formally announced his retirement, but Graham hasn’t appeared in a game since 2023. If that was the end of his NFL career, it capped a journey as unconventional as it was spectacular. A former power forward with the Hurricanes, Graham was a third-round flier for the Saints—less for what he’d done on a football field than for what scouts imagined he could become.
He more than delivered: five Pro Bowls, nearly 9,000 career receiving yards, and a reputation as one of the most dangerous red-zone targets of his generation. Now, he’s paddled into another category of rare achievement. Arctic rower. Record-breaker. Explorer. Jimmy Graham may be done catching passes. But he isn’t done chasing the horizon.
Jimmy Graham’s historic expedition
The four team members shared a common concern before embarking on their journey. “It’s about the length of Jimmy,” said Tropp, to which Hannah responded, “Which is generous.” They were referring to the size of the sleeping cabins on their 30-foot, carbon fiber ocean rowing boat. Notably, the team had to take two-man, two-hour shifts, while the other could eat, prep, and rest. “The challenge, the mental challenge, the physical challenge. I want to see what it feels like. … I want to see how I am in the rawest form when I’m at my worst. Who am I?” said Hannah before the voyage.
If they were to be asked again now, how would they respond? Simple. They are a record-breaking team that navigated 584 miles of the Arctic Ocean in just 10 days. Nothing but the first mixed-gender team of four to row across the Arctic Ocean, as well as being the first all-American team to row across a polar ocean. On top of that, Jimmy Graham is the first black person to row a polar ocean, while Hannah Huppi is the first American woman to row a polar ocean. And they did none of this for themselves as they aimed to raise money to support Covenant House New Orleans. An organization combating homelessness and human trafficking.
The challenge doubled as a fundraiser, aiming to raise $1 for every metre of ocean they cross. Coming in, they expected to raise $1 million and almost achieved it with their 584 miles(approximately 939,852 meters). “Basically, we’re looking to inspire young people by demonstrating the power of persistence. I’ve been given a lot in my life and I just want to make sure I’m relaying that to other people and trying to inspire,” said Graham in an interview with the New Orleans Saints. For Graham, the Arctic adventure is a symbol of endurance for a man who refuses to stop pushing the limits. He’s not just a former Pro Bowl player but an inspiration, whether it’s running seam routes or rowing through Arctic ice.
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