Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre
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Little did the two teams know it at the time, but in 1992 the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons organizations would make a trade that would send both teams in opposite directions.
The Falcons were coming off a playoff year in ‘91 led by their Pro Bowl quarterback Chris Miller. So, when Packers GM Ron Wolf called Atlanta offering a first round pick for third string backup quarterback Brett Favre, the Falcons salivated at the swap.
Favre was a nobody out of Southern Mississippi who was stuck behind two other signal callers. He had an amazing arm, but no one in the Falcons organization knew if the ball was going to land in the receiver’s hands or some guy’s lap in the stands.
Favre played only a few snaps his rookie year in Atlanta and his first pass as a professional was thrown for a touchdown... to the other team. On top of his poor play, he also liked to party nightly and often would show up to meetings late or hung over. He even missed a team photo shoot, because he had been drinking the whole night before and often got into sparring matches with then head coach Jerry Glanville.
A first round pick for a third-stringer who loved to party and wasn’t going to see the field in anyway? Done deal.
The Falcons would eventually live to regret the move and the Packers reaped all the benefits in what turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the NFL.
Atlanta used its newly acquired first round pick on Favre’s teammate at Southern Miss, Tony Smith, a running back who often went down after first contact and never panned out.
Ironically, Miller got hurt the next season and the Falcons didn’t have a decent quarterback until they traded for Jeff George in ‘94.
When Favre got to Green Bay, the organization was going through some down years and in major need of a hero. In ‘02, starting quarterback Don Majkowski went down with an injury against Cincinnati Bengals and Favre was inserted into the game
Despite a poor performance statistically, Favre led a Packers comeback that featured a game-winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining in the contest.
Favre started the very next game and is now the only professional athlete in any sport to have started every game for his team over the past 15-year period.
He has led Green Bay to two Super Bowl appearances and also won one (‘96-97 vs. New England Patriots). Favre has also won a record three MVP trophies, all in consecutive years (‘95, ‘96, ‘97).
Favre has been selected to nine Pro Bowls and has shattered almost every Green Bay passing record. He has the most seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes (8) and has led the league in touchdown passes a record four times.
His records include: most career NFL touchdown passes (442), most career NFL passing yards (61,655), most career pass completions (5,377), most career pass attempts (8,758), most career NFL interceptions thrown (288), most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks (253, 275 total starts including playoffs), and most career victories as a starting quarterback (160).
To list every one of Favre’s accomplishments would take up an entire 120-page book and what he has meant to the NFL and the Green Bay Packers organization could never be put into words.
Favre is the Green Bay Packers and in most cases, is the consummate NFL quarterback. He is tough as nails playing through injuries and more heartbreaking, deaths of his father, brother-in-law and the diagnosis of breast cancer to his wife, Deanna.
Despite all of the trials and tribulations, Favre always comes to work and fights to keep the Packers in playoff contention.
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Career
Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre
The official website of the Green Bay Packers provides a complete bio on the quarterback as well as stats and photo gallery.
NFL.com: Brett Favre
Small bio on Favre, but the true value of this site from NFL.com is the amount of stats they provide on Brett.
Official Brett
The official website of Brett Favre brings you a bio, contests, news on Brett’s foundations, a store, multimedia and much, much more.
Rotoworld Player Page: Brett Favre
Rotoworld.com has some of the best fantasy reporting and advice on the web. Click on the “Previous News” tab to get current and past information on Brett Favre for your fantasy football team.
Brett Favre Wikipedia Page
Find a comprehensive background on Brett Favre's life and football career at Wikipedia.com.
Brett Favre Legends Page
Check out Brett Favre's Legends.com player profile.
Latest on Favre
Favre had a magnificent 2007, throwing for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and compiling a 95.7 QB rating. He also led the Packers to a NFC North Division Title, as well as a 42-20 playoff victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field.
News and Commentary
Did Favre make the right call?
Bullz-Eye.com sports columnist John Paulsen discusses whether or not Favre made the right decision to come back and play in '06.
For toughness over time, Brett Favre is No. 1
USATODAY.com states that nobody is tougher than Green Bay’s Brett Favre.
Simply classic
With the death of his father still fresh in his memory, Brett Favre destroys the Oakland Raiders in a 2003 Monday Night Football game in which in threw for 399-yards and four touchdowns.
The Man With the Golden Arm
Washingtonpost.com columnist and ESPN Pardon the Interruption co-host Michael Wilbon takes time to reflect on Brett Favre’s amazing talent.
Super Bowl or Bust? Favre wins the bet
Favre wins his first and thus far, only Super Bowl title against the New England Patriots in the ’96-’97 season.
CNNSI.com: Timeline of Brett Favre
Follow every memorable event in the timeline of Brett Favre, supplied by CNNSI.com.
Brett Says
On winning the 1996 Super Bowl in New Orleans:
"This means everything. I've been through a lot of tough times this year and a lot of good."
On if he feels he's a great quarterback:
"I don't know what else I've got to do, to be honest with you. I'll go try to win the Pro Bowl, I don't know. I've done everything I possibly can, and I'm very excited about it."
On what he thinks toughness means in the NFL:
"To play every week and to be someone that your teammates can rely on to be there for them."
On retirment:
"When it counts, I still think I'm the best and that keeps me kicking myself in the butt and being not quite ready to leave yet."