Known for his extraordinary toughness, bravery, and unmatched passing skills, Brett Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Currently on his way to passing records set by legendary QBs Dan Marino and John Elway, the Green Bay Packers behemoth has proved to be the most consistent NFL player of the last 15 years.
Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi on October 10, 1969 and grew up in nearby Kiln. His father Irvin coached Brett at Hancock North Central High School, where the promising footballer played QB, lineman, strong safety, placekicker, and punter. He went on to play for Southern Mississippi, winning several key games including a famous upset of sixth-ranked Florida State on September 2, 1989. A July 1990 car crash nearly ended his life, but Favre trudged on after extensive intestinal surgery, winning an incredible comeback victory against Alabama less than two months later and graduating in 1991 with a degree in special education. His degree and extensive work with disadvantaged children was used as a plot point in his hilarious cameo in “There’s Something About Mary”, which saw Favre appear as Cameron Diaz’s secret ex-boyfriend.
After college Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft, leading to a tumultuous debut year for the future star. Numerous clashes with coach Jerry Glanville combined with his poor performance led to a trade with the Packers, which unbeknownst to the Falcons jump-started the most phenomenal NFL career in recent memory. Favre’s turning point was a memorable 1992 game against the Cincinnati Bengals when he stepped in for QB Don Majkowski after the starter suffered an injury. Favre played poorly, leading fans to vocally demand that he be replaced by benched QB Ty Detmer, until Favre threw a commanding comeback touchdown in the game’s final seconds which won the Packers the game. Since then, Favre has started every Packers game for 14 years, a record streak of 244 games.
Called the ‘Iron Man of the NFL’, Favre has led the Packers since 1992 and has been pivotal in making the team a bona fide football dynasty. In 1997 the Packers handily defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI, and advanced to the Bowl in 1998 as well, losing to the Denver Broncos. Favre holds a smattering of career records, including most seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes, most consecutive seasons with 3,000+ passing yards, and most NFL MVP awards. The 37 year-old QB will likely pass Dan Marino’s record of 420 career passing touchdowns before he retires. Truly the stuff that sports legends are made of, Favre’s era of dominance has been one of the most exciting in NFL history.