Fans flock to meet Brees
Saints QB signs 1,400 copies of his book at BR stop
- By KATIE KENNEDY
- Advocate staff writer
- Published: Jul 25, 2010 - Page: 1A
Lee Foley thumbed the military coin in his pocket Sunday as he waited patiently in line to meet one of his icons.
When the U.S. Air Force sergeant, who returned home in January from a seven-month tour in northern Iraq, finally reached the front of the line, he presented New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees with a military coin from Foley’s 1989 tour in Okinawa.
“I read in his book that his grandfather stormed the beaches of Okinawa during World War II, and Drew collects military coins, so I knew I had to give him one of mine,” Foley said.
Foley was one of about 1,500 members of the Who Dat Nation who flocked to the Borders book store at the Mall of Louisiana on Sunday to meet Brees and get their copies of his memoir, “Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity,” signed by the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.
The first people in line earned their spot by arriving at the store at 9 p.m. Saturday.
The group of 11, who came in pairs or by themselves but by midafternoon Sunday had nicknamed their group the “Elite 11,” camped out through Tropical Storm Bonnie’s rain and the morning heat to get their autographed copies.
Brees took note of the group’s dedication, personally greeting the first few and shaking his head in disbelief at their devotion.
“He came straight up to us, and shook our hands, said he heard about how long we waited,” said Tommy Terry, of Metairie, who was the first in line. “It really says a lot about the type of guy he is.”
Terry, who waited nearly 19 hours for less than 10 seconds of face time with Brees, said the wait was “absolutely worth it.”
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