NFL Player Bio: Brett Favre
By Loot, NFL Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Brett Favre played in the NFL for 20 years. In addition to holding numerous career passing records, Favre is simply considered one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game. He was the game’s most durable field general--with an amazing 297 consecutive starts, which covered a span of over 18 seasons. Only 6 quarterbacks have started 100 consecutive games, to put Favre’s achievement in perspective.
Running a wishbone offense in high school, Favre’s passing ability was not very noticeable at the time. He received one Division I-A college scholarship offer--from Southern Miss. He enrolled and was buried on the depth chart. Favre showed promise, however, and picked up the starting gig in midseason. By the time he was finished, Favre had set many passing records for the school, notched some key victories, and established himself as a viable quarterback--a mid-range NFL prospect.
But unlike many superstar quarterbacks, Favre’s road to glory wasn’t all paved with gold. He was overweight at the time and living an alcohol-fueled lifestyle. He was the 33rd pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1991. Coach Jerry Glanville disliked the pick and clashed with the young Favre. He threw a mere 4 balls that season. His first NFL pass was returned for a pick-six. At the time, one would have been hard-pressed to peg Favre as a future superstar.
BET ON NFL FOOTBALL GAMES USING YOUR CREDIT CARD AT A SPORTSBOOK WHERE IT WILL WORK FOR DEPOSITS AND WHERE YOU'LL RECEIVE A FAT SIGNUP BONUS: GTBETS
Despite his shoddy debut with the Falcons, the Packers traded a first-round pick for Favre, who brought his act to Lambeau to begin forging one of the more storybook careers in NFL history. Though starter Don Majkowski and Ty Detmer were competing for time, Favre got his chances. After a rough start, he led the Packers to a last-minute win against the Bengals. With Majkowski injured, Favre became the man.
In his first year in Green Bay, Favre led the Packers to a 9-7 record, highlighted by a 6-game winning streak. Favre made his first Pro-Bowl and established himself as a NFL starting quarterback. In the next two seasons, Favre would lead the Packers to consecutive playoff appearances--something they had not accomplished in decades. Despite a glorious history, the Packers were on a long run of futility until Favre joined the team.
In 1995, Favre kicked it up another gear--winning the league MVP en route to an 11-5 record. They advanced as far as the NFC Championship game, but were beaten by Dallas, for the third time in the playoffs during the Favre era. The following season, Favre overcame an addiction to painkillers to lead the Packers to a 13-3 record and another MVP award. Green Bay cruised through the playoffs--culminating in a Super Bowl berth against the New England Patriots. Favre threw for two touchdowns as Green Bay finally got back in the Super Bowl win column--winning the game 35-21.
The following season would also find Favre and the Packers in fine form. They returned to the Super Bowl for the 2nd consecutive season. Favored against the perennial bridesmaid Broncos, the Packers ran into some late-career Elway magic and lost a tough one, 31-24. It seemed Green Bay was on the verge of another dynasty, but Super Bowl XXXI would prove to be Favre’s only win in the big game.
The next decade or so saw Favre mostly successful with the Packers, as they remained playoff contenders. He had some big years, put up some big numbers, and won a lot of games. By 2006, he was hinting at retirement. But the Favre train kept up rolling, as he put some NFL records out of reach. He retired, then came back. After some acrimonious negotiations with the Packers, Favre ended up a member of the New York Jets.
He started 8-3 with the Jets, including a 6-touchdown game, but 4 of 5 losses to close the season left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. He went to the Vikings and to a lot of people’s surprise, put up one of his best statistical seasons--all in his 19th year as a NFL quarterback. He brought the Vikings all the way to the NFC Championship game--losing in OT to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints.
That would have been a good note to go out on, but Favre came back from another retirement for the 2010 season--an unmitigated disaster. The Vikings suffered and Favre took a beating, even having to miss a game for the first time in almost 20 years. A concussion after a sack brought the curtain down on a glorious career. Where Favre belongs on the all-time quarterback list is up for debate. What isn’t arguable, however, is that Favre had one of the more incredible careers of any NFL player in history.
