#18

 

BRETT FAVRE

Yes, there was a time when Brett Favre was one of the top quarterbacks in the game, ripping defenses with his quick-strike arm and gunslinger mentality.

Favre would become something of a soap opera at the end of his career, and a messy one at that. He couldn’t decide whether to retire or not, and once he made his first decision to leave the game, he quickly reversed his field.

That decision made the final seasons of his career quite tortured. But after leaving Green Bay, playing with the Jets, and then finally the Vikings, Favre’s brilliant career achievements are starting to regain their luster.

Favre was a star in Green Bay, but he could have made his legacy elsewhere. The Packers picked up Favre from the Atlanta Falcons prior to the 1992 draft, sending a first-round pick to the Falcons for a player they had picked in the second round a year earlier.

Favre would get a chance to play for the Packers early in the 1992 season when starting quarterback Don Majkowski suffered an ankle injury. Favre had struggled in practice sessions and didn’t appear to understand the Green Bay game plan, but that all changed after he hit wide receiver Kittrick Taylor with the game-winning touchdown pass against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Favre then made a remarkable transition to the Green Bay offense, starting every game from Week Four of the 1992 season through the end of the 2007 season. Along the way, he proved to be a lot more than someone who just showed up for work every day. He showed one of the strongest arms the game has ever seen, a true gunslinger’s mentality and a record of achievement.

Favre won three MVP awards, two offensive player of the year awards, made 11 Pro Bowls, and was named to three first-team All-Pro teams. Through the 2013 season, Favre stands as the NFL’s all-time leader in pass attempts (10,169), pass completions (6,300), passing yards (71,838), touchdown passes (508), and interceptions (336).

Those interceptions have been testimony to Favre’s fearlessness and recklessness. Throughout the majority of his career, Favre has always believed he could squeeze a ball in through any opening that he saw, even if that opening was less than 18 inches from 35 yards away.

Favre was traded to the New York Jets prior to the 2008 season after a messy divorce from the Packers. Favre had retired in the 2008 offseason but decided he wanted to come back shortly before the start of training camp. The Packers, tired of this annual dance with Favre, had already committed the job to strong-armed quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and they wanted Favre to stick to his original retirement decision. When he didn’t, he was traded to the Jets.

The move to Broadway was anything but a hit. Favre looked ordinary and rarely happy in a Jets uniform. The joie de vie that had been such a huge part of his persona during his best days in Green Bay was missing in New York.

Favre rebounded with a brilliant season in Minnesota in 2009, but he could not sustain his abilities when he returned in 2010. He finally called it a career after a forgettable showing with the Vikings that season.

Favre’s amazing confidence allowed him to execute throws that few other quarterbacks would even dream of making. In the 1993 Wild Card playoff game against the Lions, Favre was chased out of the pocket to his left by Lion defensive end Robert Porcher. Instead of running or throwing to his left, Favre was nearly on the left sideline when he stopped, pivoted, and threw a perfect 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe down the right sideline for the game-winning touchdown in a 28-24 victory.

Favre never lacked belief in his own ability, but that play convinced him that anything was possible. “You have to believe in yourself or you don’t have a chance,” Favre said. “I know that was a tough throw, but when I made it I felt like I could get it to Sterling without a problem. I wasn’t worried.”

Favre’s career reached its pinnacle when the Packers beat the Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans. Favre hit wide receiver Andre Rison with a 54-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and the Packers never looked back.

They were big favorites to repeat as champions the following year when they faced the Broncos and John Elway in San Diego, but the Broncos would not be denied, and they beat the Packers 31-24.

Elway would lead his team to one more Super Bowl title in his final season, and his two Super Bowl titles would give him an edge that Favre has not been able to overcome.