New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater sat in front of his locker on Wednesday afternoon ready to take questions from the media. But reporters noticed a certain look on the face of the signal caller.

Before turning around to face the cameras and answer questions from the media, Bridgewater reached up into his locker and pulled out a book, unwrapped it and propped it on the locker behind him so the cameras could get a shot of it.

The title of the book is "Little Bear Teddy Big Dream Come True."

"It's a children's book," Bridgewater said. "It's a great read. It's about discipline, hard work, and perseverance."

The book is based on his journey so far and it was written by his "best friend" Erika Cardona, whom Bridgewater dated while the two were in high school down in Miami.

Cardona, whose background is in education, always wanted to write a children's book, but just needed the right idea. And when she spent time with Bridgewater in the hospital back in 2015 following his significant knee injury, it came to her.

"Once he got injured and I was in the hospital with him and seeing the whole process, I was just like it was the right time to do it," Cardona said. "It kind of motivated me."

The title character is Little Bear Teddy and it follows him as he chases his dream to play in the NFL.

There are several correlations to Bridgewater in the book. Little Bear Teddy has gray fur, the real Teddy's favorite color.

The title character also wears black shirts and two gloves, the former a favorite of Bridgewater's while the latter a signature look of his.

Cardona said that Bridgewater had some editorial influence on the book. And she hopes children draw from the book that dreams can be achieved no matter how big the obstacles may seem.

"As a child, we have wild dreams," Cardona said. "Hey, if he can do it, I can do it as well."

Fittingly, the back page of the book features a blank page next to the following text: "Draw a picture that shows what your dream is for the future. Remember that all dreams can come true."

If you'd like to purchase the book or just get more info on it, visit littlebearteddy.com.

 

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