Brett Favre
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Missing image Brett_Favre,_passing.jpg Brett Favre | |
| Position: | Quarterback |
| College: | Southern Miss |
| NFL draft: | 1991, 2nd round, 33rd overall, Atlanta Falcons |
| Pro career: | 14 seasons |
| Hall of Fame: | None (still active) |
Brett Lorenzo Favre (born October 10, 1969 in Gulfport, Mississippi) has been the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers American football team in the National Football League since 1992. Favre is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL.
Favre played college football at Southern Mississippi, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991, where he was a second string quarterback with unremarkable numbers. Favre was acquired by the Packers in 1992 in a trade with the Falcons.
He has started every Green Bay Packers game after September 20, 1992, when he was summoned in to replace an injured Don Majkowski during game 3 of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals and proceeded to lead the team to a come-from-behind victory, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining. He holds the longest consecutive starts streak for quarterbacks in NFL history, a number that continues to grow despite numerous injuries, including a broken thumb on his right (throwing) hand that he played with for all of 2003.
Favre has won the National Football League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award a record three times, all in consecutive years (1995, 1996, and 1997; the last was shared with Barry Sanders). Favre and former Houston Oiler running back Earl Campbell ('78-'79-'80) remain the only players in NFL history to have acheived that consecutive MVP trifecta.
During that time, while being treated for various injuries, Favre developed an addiction to Vicodin and other prescription painkillers. He went public with his problem in May 1996, and immediately sought rehabilitation after a press conference admitting his problem. He remained in rehab for 46 days. Shortly thereafter, he led the Packers to their greatest season in thirty years; the Packers compiled an NFL-best regular season record of 13-3, and won the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots, 35-21, at the end of the 1996 season.
The Packers, led by Favre, fought their way to a second Super Bowl in the 1997 season, losing to the Denver Broncos by the score of 31-24.
One of the defining moments of Favre's career took place on December 22, 2003, in a Monday-night game against the Oakland Raiders. The day before, his father, who had been his high school coach and lifelong mentor, died. Where most players would have taken the week off, Favre elected instead to play. He passed for four touchdowns in the first half, and 399 yards in 41-7 victory. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He then went to his father's funeral in Pass Christian, Mississippi and returned in time to lead the Packers to a 2003 NFC North title with a win over the Denver Broncos.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle declared November 29, 2004 as Brett Favre Day to honor Favre's 200th consecutive NFL regular season start. That night, the Packers defeated the St. Louis Rams on Monday Night Football.
After much speculation regarding the possibility of retirement, Favre announced his intention of playing 2005-2006 season on March 10, 2005. This remains contingent on the health of his wife, Deanna, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Deanna Favre was given a clean bill of health in June of 2005. [1] (http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/mar05/308319.asp)
Favre is closing in on a number of NFL records and milestones. They include:
- Passing Touchdowns: 376, record Dan Marino: 420
- Victories by Starting Quarterback: 136-72, record John Elway 148-82-1
- Most seasons with 3000 yards passing: tied with Marino at 13
- 50,000 passing yards: currently at 49,734