DECKED OUT in his black Patrick Peterson jersey, Loren Payne was walking towards the bus when he tripped.
When he looked up, Payne couldn’t believe it. Not because he fell, but because Peterson was standing right in front of him.
After they shared a hello, Peterson asked if Payne had a sharpie on him, offering to sign his jersey. Payne patted down his pockets but came up empty. The former Cardinals cornerback told Payne, “we’ll take care of business” at the “Sunday Night Football” watch party at the Happiest Hour.
As soon as Payne arrived, Peterson called Payne over.
“He remembered,” Payne said with a smile, moments after Peterson signed the jersey.
As much as Payne will remember that moment with Peterson, it won’t be the highlight of the trip. That’s because Payne’s son, Mason, was along for the journey, one of the many father-son duos taking part.
“I think probably the biggest thing is that every dad with their daughter or son, you like to be involved with them and cultivate memories,” Loren said. “This is a memory that he’ll certainly remember forever. We’ve had opportunities to do things like that, but nothing like this.”
For Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, he understands the value of football and family. The Cardinals have been in the DNA of the Bidwills dating back nearly to the franchise’s inception.
“We have great men that have played for this team,” Bidwill said. “Defense, they set the tone, especially against the Cowboys. I’m excited that (Peterson, Golden, and Wilson) are here and interacting with our fans. Our fans appreciate them.”
The Paynes spent nearly 15 minutes talking with Peterson at the event about various topics, ranging from broadcasting to football to how Peterson’s different than Larry Fitzgerald on the golf course.
Mason runs a discord page dedicated to the Cardinals. Members of this group lived vicariously through Mason as he was sending them content from the various events.
“Oh yeah,” Mason said when asked if people were jealous. “I’ve been posting pictures the whole time and everyone is like, ‘Oh my God.’
It was important for the Paynes to capture the memories, not just for their friends, but to document their first Cardinals road trip.
“Sports has always been a big thing for the two of us and it’s always the way that we bonded and have been close,” Mason said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience.”