Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say goodbye to a living legend, a future Hall of Famer, and quite honestly, the best damn player I have ever seen.
For 16 years, he has been labeled quite simply “The Man.” And for 16 years, he has given those tundra lovers up north a reason to enjoy the cold chill of Wisconsin.
He struck fear in the heart of every single coach he faced. He made defenses love him and hate him at the same time. He was the man who brought joy and admiration to the letter G.
For almost two decades, Brett Favre has razzled and dazzled his way to records that many thought were unbreakable. Who would've ever thought that a young kid from Mississippi would leave such an impact on the league?
Here's the story from the beginning...
In 1991, the Atlanta Falcons selected a young kid out of Southern Miss in the second round of the draft. Not much was known about him, except that he had a cannon for an arm.
It was something that the Falcons apparently weren't able to adjust to.
Favre played two games for the Falcons, notching four attempts, two interceptions, and a sack. After a mediocre start to his career, there were many who thought that the legend-to-be wouldn’t be able to recover from it.
Then Green Bay came calling, and the young Mississippi Mud Pie got a chance at a fresh start.
In his first full year with the Packers, Favre played all 15 games, starting 13 of them. In 1992, he went 302-471 with a 64.1 completion percentage and 3,227 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Pretty good recovery if I may say so myself.
Little did anyone know this was the start of something big.
As his maturity grew, so did his numbers. Favre started to show his dangerous side, and teams started to take notice.
The obvious goal for every team is to win the Super Bowl. In 1997, Mike Holmgren’s Green Bay Packers dispatched the upstart, upset-minded Carolina Panthers for the NFC Championship, then took out the New England Patriots in the big one.
The next year saw a rise of another QB powerhouse, John Elway. Elway knew what it was like to play in the Super Bowl, but he also knew what it’s like to get knocked on your ass several times.
The Broncos and Packers went down to the resurrection of “The Drive” that made Elway famous in the first place. And shockingly enough, it was Elway who was the hero of the night for Denver.
Favre lost that night, but still was a good sport about it. That’s when that respect that many felt the players lacked came back.
Now to the records...
Dan Marino figured he had done enough for people to remember his name. In the fall of 2007, they were saying his name a lot…but not the way he was hoping.
During a game against the Vikings, Favre made history by breaking the first of Marino’s records, with a quick, short pass to Greg Jennings for touchdown No. 421 and then No. 422 to James Jones in the fourth quarter.
But that wasn’t the only record that Favre surpassed in his final season. He also broke the record for career interceptions, though that one shouldn’t be entirely celebrated.
His biggest feat, though, came when he erased Marino’s name yet again by setting a new record for most passing yards in a career. A fitting end to a historic career…but not the way he wanted it to end.
18 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Dustin Rayner about 1 year ago
Well said, thank you.
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Dan Verhaeghe about 1 year ago
you didn't mention that he was also a warrior in another way, through his battle with prozac and how he overcame it.
he's also a warrior in such a way that he's able to overcome personal tragedy.
and he's a warrior in the way he loves his wife and his children.
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Michael Priebe about 1 year ago
It was Vicoden, not Prozac.
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Ron Johnson about 1 year ago
I did, but they edited a lot of my article. So what you see is what they like. Sorry, bud. I did mention that.
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Jon Grilz about 1 year ago
As a NFL fan I can say that he will be missed. His dedication, skill and attitude were unmatched. As a Vikings fan I have to say: I'm glad your dead.
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Shari Toomey about 1 year ago
Great article; a well-said tribute.
Brett Favre loved to play football for the same reason the kids on my sons' teams love to play- because it's fun. Most players have forgotten that by the time they reach the NFL. It was always great to watch him running around, laughing, and even crying. If any of my boys reach the pros, I hope they take a lesson from him.
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
So I'm impressed yet again, very good article Ron ... keep them comin' and I'll keep reading them :).
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nick bowen about 1 year ago
Brett Favre will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in NFL history. Very well written
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Jeff Little about 1 year ago
good article a well said tribute to an NFL great.
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Zander Freund about 1 year ago
Beautiful tribute Ron.
You have to admit though: what he said today about his reasons for retiring (on Chris Mortensen's answering machine) are downright strange.
While being "mentally tired" was indeed one part of things, it seemed to me that the line of thinking that was really guiding his decision was the idea that this season would be a failure unless the Packers won the Super Bowl.
It would be understandable if anybody else said this...but Brett Favre?
This is a guy who has played in 257 consecutive games. Yes, he's a competitor and wants to go down in the history books as the greatest gunslinger who ever lived. But I always thought (as I think nearly every football fan does) that Brett Favre's love of the game trumps any personal ambitions he has for the record books.
Thus I was a little surprised to hear that Favre was being so calculating in his decision. I figured it would come down to whether he felt like playing or not...but it seems to me like he's a helluva lot more concerned with his legacy at this point than anything else.
All that said, the fact that he is making this decision in March gives him a little while to contemplate how much he is going to miss the game. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I think there's a chance that we still might see #4 leading the helm at Lambeau this fall.
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Michael Priebe about 1 year ago
Zander, in total agreement. For those familiar with Favre, everything about how yesterday played out was strange. It would seem a stretch to see Favre reverse this thing that happened yesterday, but there is a feeling he might.
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Mike Merrill about 1 year ago
Great post here. I love the second half of the article where you talk about the memories we will have of this great American Hero. Someday, god willing, we will be telling our grandchildren about what it was like to watch Brett Favre play.
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Ashish Wesley about 1 year ago
Never really follow the NFL, but the little I do follow is because of Green bay, and the I follow Green Bay coz of Favre. Saluting you now Brett! An absolute legend.
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Ashish Wesley about 1 year ago
Never really follow the NFL, but the little I do follow is because of Green bay, and the I follow Green Bay coz of Favre. Saluting you now Brett! An absolute legend.
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Eric about 1 year ago
Make your vote for greatest quarterback ever count:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21036771/
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Max Iascone about 1 year ago
A very eloquent and fitting tribute to one of the greatest players to step onto a football field, but I got a gut feeling that when the wildly overrated Aaron Rodgers starts to suck that good 'ol number 4 will take back his rightful place under center in Lambeau,
I may be a pats fan but I gotta say I was pullin' for Favre all the way and I was sick to my stomach that neither Favre nor Brady won that ring, it would have been a fitting ending to either favre's career or to the '72 Dolphins' time in the spotlight peace everyone
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Max Iascone about 1 year ago
A very eloquent and fitting tribute to one of the greatest players to step onto a football field, but I got a gut feeling that when the wildly overrated Aaron Rodgers starts to suck that good 'ol number 4 will take back his rightful place under center in Lambeau,
I may be a pats fan but I gotta say I was pullin' for Favre all the way and I was sick to my stomach that neither Favre nor Brady won that ring, it would have been a fitting ending to either favre's career or to the '72 Dolphins' time in the spotlight peace everyone
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Steve Hartline about 1 year ago
...and now the gun slinger rides off into the sunset. Nice piece Ron
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