Brett Favre Had to Ask Ty Detmer What Nickel Defense Was as Packers QB

Brett Favre went on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, but he needed a few years before he truly became attuned to the intricacies of reading opposing defenses.

Eleven Warriors' Zach Dunn shared video of Favre from a speech he gave at a 2016 coaching clinic explaining how he had to ask Green Bay Packers teammate Ty Detmer for explanations about certain different defensive sets, including nickel and dime packages. (Warning: video contains NSFW language):

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Brett Favre on asking Ty Detmer what a Nickel Defense was. pic.twitter.com/84gvIy36Jr

— Zach Dunn (@ZachSDunn) June 6, 2017"

The anecdote offers a microcosm of Favre's time in the NFL. A prototypical gunslinger, the legendary passer didn't always make the best decisions, but it often didn't matter as a result of his prodigious throwing arm. There's a reason Favre retired as the all-time leader in both passing touchdowns (508) and interceptions (336)—Peyton Manning eventually surpassed Favre's TD total.

In an excerpt from his book Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre supplied to Sports Illustrated, Jeff Pearlman explained how Favre was often his own worst enemy in his rookie year with the Atlanta Falcons, and Favre admitted as much.

"I just said, 'The hell with it,'" he said. "I went out every night, gained weight and was out of shape. I didn’t study, I didn't care. I'd show up just in time for the meetings, and I'd be out of there the second the meetings were over."

Under the tutelage of Packers head coach Mike Holmgren, Favre got his career back on track and built a legacy that got him enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. And it would appear he owes a debt of gratitude to Detmer as well.