Green Bay Packers: Remember Brett Favre, the Legend

In honor of Brett Favre’s Packers Hall of Fame induction ceremony that took place Saturday night, July 18, let’s take a look back on one of the most storied men that ever played the game.

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Packers fans credit Favre for leading the resurgence of the team back to football relevance. Through the 1970s and 80s, the team was, quite frankly, abysmal. And after 24 years of suffering, the team’s arrow began pointing up.

The story of Brett Favre is an intriguing one, to say the least. The team ran a television special in honor of his induction ceremony titled “One of a Kind” and it can be found on the team’s official website (Packers.com). It is a wonderfully assembled short documentary hosted by Larry McCarren interviewing Brett Favre along with some of his former teammates and coaches.

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The Green Bay Packers franchise began its revival November 27, 1991, the day Ron Wolf was named the team’s General Manager and was essentially given all control over the team’s roster. In his introductory press conference, he vowed to bring prominence back to Green Bay, much to the excitement of Packers fans across the nation. Bob Harlan, the team’s president from 1989-2007, gave Wolf the power to make all football decisions.

After having scouted Brett Favre in college, Ron Wolf was intrigued at the prospect of getting him from the Atlanta Falcons, the team who originally drafted him a year earlier. Then on February 11, 1992, the Packers trade their first round draft choice, 17^th overall, to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for backup quarterback Brett Favre.

Imagine the scrutiny. Not only was Favre not a starter but he was drafted in the second round by the Falcons. And here is a new general manager looking to make a name for himself, trading away the team’s first round pick for Favre.

Jul 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NFL quarterback Brett Favre (center) arrives for the 2015 ESPY’s award show at Nokia Theater. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It seemed as though Wolf was being interrogated by the media at every turn. He responded gracefully, informing Packer Nation that he saw great potential in Favre and that he was a “tremendous leader”.

As Wolf reflects back on his career, he realized quickly that his trade for Favre was much more important than people may believe.

“Let’s face it, I tied my career to Brett Favre. I connected it to him, so to speak,” Wolf states of his bold decision.

Interestingly enough, when Favre was traded to the Packers, he actually failed his team physical. Favre had what is called vascular necrosis and the team doctor, Pat McKenzie, had believed he could play only four years or so. Regardless, Wolf had stepped in and gave the green light to pass Favre on his physical.

“Mike Holmgren had his work cut out for him,” Favre says years later, reflecting back on his arrival to Green Bay. Holmgren, coming previously from San Francisco, had coached Joe Montana and Steve Young, two incredible quarterbacks.

“Then he gets me.”

Favre views Holmgren as the best coach he has ever played for, mostly because he was able to harness his talent and develop his gunslinger mentality. Holmgren was the Packers head coach from 1992 to 1998.

Steve Mariucci also spent a great deal of time around Brett Favre as he was the Packers quarterbacks coach from 1992 to 1995. With a smile on his face, he says, “If you want to study Brett Favre’s career, just watch the first game he ever played.”

The game Mariucci was referring to was against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 20, 1992.

Mariucci sees a little bit of everything in that game, everything that made Favre notoriously great. “He fumbled the ball. He did the wrong thing on audibles. He made some fantastic throws. He won the game.”

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport

And that truly is the bottom line with Favre. He ended up throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor to clinch the victory and a “new legend emerged”, according to Coach Holmgren.

“Laughing, crying, blocking, whatever. I just wanted to play,” Brett Favre says when asked about what kept him going all these years.

They don’t call him the Ironman for no reason. 321 straight games (including playoffs) and not a single one missed. Favre has made it plenty clear that this statistic, if you are willing to call it that, is the one that Favre is most proud of.

This didn’t happen without a fair share of close calls, however. One especially scary one came against the Minnesota Vikings in 1995 when a teammate fell on his ankle on a pass attempt.

“My ankle was really, really beat up,” he says. Favre did not practice all week and the bruising simply did not go away. The following Sunday morning comes around and he simply wraps up his ankle and tells coach he is ready to go.

The way the injury took place, Coach Holmgren thought Favre would miss several weeks, without a doubt. In Brett’s mind though, however…

“What drove me was, ‘Oh Brett? He’ll be there.’ And there’s no way I’m letting them down now.”

One of Brett Favre’s most incredible moments came in a game against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game in 1997. He threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns but what was more impressive was that he led the team to victory that night, sending the Packers to New Orleans to play in the Super Bowl. Call it a homecoming game. As you all remember, Favre played his college football at the University of Southern Mississippi.

He laughs about it now saying, “The only downside to that? I had to buy too many tickets.”

Favre’s Packers took on the New England Patriots at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on January 26, 1997 for Super Bowl XXXI.

Feb 6, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Studio photograph of the game program cover from Super Bowl XXXI between the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots played on January 26, 1997 at the Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Garrett Reid-USA TODAY Sports

When asked what memories stood out from that game, Favre quickly recalled signaling an audible on the team’s second play from scrimmage. And it just so happened to be a touchdown pass to Andre Rison. He says that play had never been completed all season long nor was it even attempted.

But it worked.

That iconic photo of Favre running, hoisting his helmet high in the air was taken right after his first pass of the game went the distance.

All of the waiting for Packers fans was finally over. The team’s Super Bowl drought of 29 years was done. Favre led the Packers to victory over the Patriots and brought the Lombardi trophy back to Titletown.

On December 21, 2003, Brett’s father, Irvin Favre, passed away. He had suffered a heart attack so the sudden nature of the event took everyone back. Favre had been made aware of what had happened when he had already landed in Oakland, preparing to face the Raiders the following night on Monday Night Football. Favre believes that to him, there was no other place he would have rather been than preparing for the game against Oakland.

Antonio Freeman, a long time Packers receiver playing alongside Brett Favre, recalls that moment very vividly.

“He stood in front of us – strawberry faced, emotional, crying – and he told us, ‘My dad would want me to play.’”

After all was said and done, Freeman adds, “It was truly a phenomenal night.”

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On primetime television for the entire world to see, Favre put on a show that night. He even had cheers coming from Raiders fans that game and playing in the Black Hole was an incredibly tough environment. With emotions running high, Favre went out there and threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns that night.

Brett Favre has played in so many games worth remembering that it’s truly tough to keep count. From his first Super Bowl to Antonio Freeman’s catch in the Monday Night Miracle game to his 99-yard touchdown pass to Robert Brooks in a game against Chicago in ’95 – the memories can go on and on.

Favre again reiterates his favorite mantra, “I just loved to play.”

If we remember Favre for one thing, it should be that he simply was not afraid to take chances. When he wanted to throw a ball into the tightest window imaginable, nothing was going to stop him. Sure, it came at the expense of untimely interceptions but from hearing his teammates speak of him, they were ready to endure it all.

A living legend.

Ron Wolf honored Favre by calling him the greatest player he had ever been around in his 38 years of involvement with the game. What a way to go out. Now Favre will forever be remembered as one of the greats in not only Packers history but in the history of the game of football.

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