Submitted photo -- Ruth Collins, 90, of Metairie with grandson Jeremy Deubler and his wife, Heather Leonard, pose with Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
In addition to his usual day-after aches and pains Monday, Drew Brees’ head was sore from a helmet-to-chin hit.
Then there was the depression from the 34-28 overtime loss which broke the Saints’ three-game winning streak and dropped them on the wrong side of playoff possibilities at 4-5.
Sean Payton’s somber address to the team that morning didn’t brighten things up too much, either.
But by that afternoon, Brees was all smiles, greeting the excited, sold-out gathering of 400 at the Lakeside Dillard’s, fans who had purchased $74 worth of Hugo Boss products and then stood patiently in line to get an autographed football plus a minute or so of one-on-one time with the Saints quarterback.