Drew Brees, local star athletes greeted by huge crowd at Cares Fair
Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees autographs a New Orleans Saints helmet for brothers Robert and Jackson Walker, of Kalispell, at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Fans stand in line to meet former NFL quarterback Drew Brees at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees' autograph on a New Orleans Saints helmet at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Former NFL and Montana Grizzlies linebacker Brock Coyle signs autographs at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Children from the Boys & Girls Club of Glacier Country have their photo taken with Glacier Range Rider mascots Cliff and Huck at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. Proceeds from the fair benefitted the Boys & Girls Club. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees autographs the shirt of Bentley Barlow at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Former professional bull rider Beau Hill, from Columbia Falls, signs autographs for fans at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Young fans wait in line for autographs at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Professional freeskier Maggie Voisin, from Whitefish, signs an autograph at the World Gym Cares Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
With time running down, Drew Brees called an audible.
After a solid two hours of signing autographs Wednesday at the World Gym Cares Fair, the New Orleans Saints legend took a look at the crowd still amassed inside the World Gym, and moved out of the pocket.
To be sure, the retired NFL star was a polite and engaging signer of Saints helmets, footballs, jerseys and cards. He shook off a stupid stunt by Monte, the Montana Grizzlies mascot who maybe should never leave Missoula, and kept on trucking.
But at 5:45 p.m. he started working through the crowd, signing as he went. Another engagement waited.
It’s an understatement to say the event, to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Glacier Country, was well-attended. And that’s just the kids and their parents.
Montana Grizzlies Chase Reynolds and Brock Coyle were bracketing star bull rider Beau Hill and Olympic freeskier Maggie Voisin of Whitefish; to Coyle’s right was Doug Betters of Miami Dolphins’ fame; to Betters’ right was Brees.
“We were looking for something to do for the community and I started looking at all the (area) foundations,” said Stacy Averill, owner of World Gym. “And Boys & Girls Club kind of touched close to my heart. Growing up in the Valley I wish my friends and I had a place to go when our parents worked all the time.”
The event came together in six short weeks, Averill said. Having connections helps.
“I’ve known Sean Averill (Stacy’s husband) for a long time,” said Reynolds, who set all kinds of rushing records at UM before playing mostly special teams with the NFL Los Angeles Rams. “He’s always kept me involved in stuff like this, which I’m beyond happy to come up and support.”
“Sean reached out to me; I met him years ago at the Whitefish Winter Classic, with Doug Betters,” said Coyle, who followed a standout Griz career with a five-year NFL career, playing linebacker for Seattle and San Francisco.
Coyle, for the record, once started an NFL game opposite of Brees.
“We lost, unfortunately,” Coyle said, meaning the Niners. “I grew up being a fan of his, and to meet him – what an honor. What a first-class, awesome guy.”
Brees has a little hitch in his gait, the residue of a 20-year NFL career. Coyle got out because of injuries.
“Back, head. Shoulder. Everything,” Coyle said, laughing. “The body.”
“I had to hang it up before I wanted to, but that’s kind of how it goes. You can’t play the game forever, and it’s a physical position, linebacker. But I loved my time. And it was time.”
Both Coyle and Reynolds are trying their hand at real estate development, post-NFL. Reynolds has some land adjacent to Discovery Ski Area, which is owned by another Griz alum, Ciche Pitcher. He’s also working on an affordable housing project for Missoula, where he lives.
Coyle is back in his hometown of Bozeman; he and his sister Alexa recently opened a recovery room for Grizzly athletics. Alexa Coyle played soccer at UM, and then professionally; ironically she’s now a marketing intern for her brother’s first NFL team, the Seahawks.
“She’s doing great,” Coyle said.
Reynolds, famously raising a family while he played college football, has a son at Missoula Loyola. We’re coming up on a dozen years since he carried the rock for the Griz. But he was a popular item Wednesday; people remember him, including Sean Averill.
“He just texted me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got an event going on and would you come up?’” Reynolds said. “And I said, ‘Absolutely.’”