Changes: Brett Favre

Revision as of 19:59, 12 December 2011

Brett Favre

1992 • • 2007

Home	Position	Road

General information
Height	6 ft. 2 in.
Weight	222 lbs.
Born	October 10, 1969 (age 40)
Birthplace	Gulfport, Mississippi

Career information
College	Southern Mississippi
NFL Draft	1991 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
Drafted by	Atlanta Falcons

External links
None

Brett Favre (born October 10, 1969) was the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1992-2007. He also played a single season each for the Atlanta Falcons (1991), New York Jets (2008) and currently the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings (2009-active). Favre started at the quarterback position for the University of Southern Mississippi for four years before being selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by Atlanta (33rd overall). After one season, he was traded to Green Bay on February 10, 1992, for the 19th pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.

Favre became the Packers' starting quarterback in the fourth game of the 1992 season, starting every game through the 2007 season. While with the Packers, Favre broke many Packers and NFL records including: most career touchdown passes, most career passing yards, most career pass completions, most career pass attempts, most career interceptions thrown, most consecutive starts, and most career victories as a starting quarterback.

He is the only player to win the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1995–97). He has led teams to eight division championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2009), five NFC Championship Games (1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, and 2009), winning two (1996 and 1997), and two Super Bowl appearances, winning one (Super Bowl XXXI).

He was traded to the New York Jets as the starting quarterback for the 2008 season, and subsequently signed with the Vikings on August 18, 2009 as their starting quarterback. As of the 2009 season, he has made an NFL record 285 consecutive starts (309 including playoffs).

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons (1991)

Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, 33rd overall in the 1991 NFL Draft. On July 19, 1991, Favre agreed to a three-year, $1.4 million contract with a reported signing bonus of $350,000. Atlanta coach Jerry Glanville did not approve of the drafting of Favre, saying it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre into the game. Favre's first pass in an NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown. He only attempted five passes in his career at Atlanta, was intercepted twice, and completed none of them.

The Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf traded a first–round pick (19th overall, RB Tony Smith, Southern Miss) for Favre during the following off-season. Wolf, while an assistant to the general manager of the New York Jets, had intended to take Favre in the 1991 NFL draft, but Favre was taken by the Falcons on the previous pick.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and other sources, during the physical after the trade, Favre was diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hip, the same degenerative condition that ended Bo Jackson's football career, and doctors recommended his physical be failed, which would nullify the trade. Wolf overruled them.

New York Jets (2008)

After negotiations with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets on August 7, 2008, in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft with performance escalation. Favre's season with the Jets started well; in week four of the 2008 season, he threw six touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals, a personal best and one fewer than the NFL record.

By week 12, the Jets had compiled an 8–3 record, including a win over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans. However, the Jets lost four of the last five games of the season, including the final game against the Miami Dolphins, who had acquired Chad Pennington after he was released from the Jets to make room for Favre. In those five games, Favre threw eight interceptions and only two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to twenty-two of each. Favre had complained of shoulder pain and had an MRI performed on December 29, 2008, which revealed a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder. After the 2008 season had ended, in mid-January 2009, Favre told Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum, "it may be time to look in a different direction" regarding the quarterback position. On February 11, 2009, Favre informed the Jets that he was retiring after 18 seasons. He remained property of the New York Jets organization, until April 28, 2009, when the Jets released Favre from his contract, thus allowing him to sign anywhere he wanted. By May 2009, he was officially cut from the Jets Reserve/Retired list.

External links

Official website
Green Bay Packers bio
Brett Favre Video on NFL.com
Brett Favre Video on ESPN Video Archive
Brett Favre Video & Audio on Boston.com
Brett Favre Video on FoxSports Video Archive
Career statistics and player information from NFL.com • ESPN • CBS Sports • Yahoo! Sports • Fox Sports • SI.com • Pro-Football-Reference • Rotoworld

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and other sources, during the physical after the trade, Favre was diagnosed with avascular necrosis of the hip, the same degenerative condition that ended Bo Jackson's football career, and doctors recommended his physical be failed, which would nullify the trade. Wolf overruled them.
-===[[File:Packers.gif|30px|link=]] Green Bay Packers (1992–2007)===
-Brett Favre played 16 seasons in Green Bay. During his time in Green Bay, Favre was the first NFL player to win three consecutive AP MVP awards. The only player to win four AP MVP Awards is Peyton Manning.  He helped the Packers appear in two Super Bowls, winning [[Super Bowl XXXI]]. Favre also started every Green Bay Packers game from September 20, 1992, to January 20, 2008.
-====Beginnings (1992–1994)====
-In the second game of the 1992 season, the Packers played the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]. The Buccaneers were leading 17–0 at halftime when head coach Mike Holmgren benched starting quarterback [[Don Majkowski]] and Favre played the second half. On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass that was deflected and caught by himself. Favre was tackled and the completion went for −7 yards. The Packers lost the game 31–3, chalking up only 106 yards passing.
-In the third game of the 1992 season, Majkowski injured a ligament in his ankle against the [[Cincinnati Bengals]], an injury severe enough that he would be out for four weeks. Favre replaced Majkowski for the remainder of the contest. Favre fumbled four times during the course of the game, a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for Favre to be removed in favor of another Packers backup quarterback at the time, Ty Detmer.  However, down 23–17 with 1:07 left in the game, the Packers started an offensive series on their own 8-yard line. Still at the quarterback position, Favre completed a 42-yard pass to [[Sterling Sharpe]]. Three plays later, Favre threw the game–winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining.
-The next week's game against the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] began the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. The game ended in a 17–3 victory and his passer rating was 144.6. During the season, Favre helped put together a six-game winning streak for the Packers, the longest winning streak for the club since 1965. They ended 9–7 that season, missing the playoffs on their last game.  Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 3,227 yards and a quarterback rating of 85.3, helping him to his first Pro Bowl.
-The following season Favre helped the Packers to their first playoff berth since 1982 and was named to his second Pro Bowl. After the season Favre became a free agent. General manager Ron Wolf negotiated Favre into a five-year, $19 million contract.
-The Packers finished the 1994 season 9–7, advancing them to the playoffs in back to back years, a feat they had not accomplished since the [[Vince Lombardi]] era.
-====MVPs and Super Bowl seasons (1995–1997)====
-In 1995, Favre won the first of his three [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|''AP'' NFL Most Valuable Player]] awards. Favre led the Packers to an 11–5 record, Green Bay's best record in nearly thirty years.  Favre passed for a career high of 4,413 yards, 38 touchdowns, and recorded a quarterback rating of 99.5, which was the highest of his career until he recorded a rating of 107.2 during the 2009 season.  The Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game after upsetting the [[San Francisco 49ers]] in the NFC Divisional Game. The Packers lost the NFC Championship game to the [[Dallas Cowboys]], marking the third year in a row the Packers season was ended by the Cowboys in the playoffs. Favre helped the Packers advance farther in the playoffs than any other Packer team since 1967, the season the Packers won [[Super Bowl II]].
-While being treated for various injuries, Brett Favre developed an addiction to vicodin, which became publicly known when he suffered a seizure during a hospital visit. Amid an NFL investigation, he went public to avoid any rumors about his condition. In May 1996, he went into treatment and remained in rehabilitation for 46 days. Had he chosen not to go, the NFL would have imposed a $900,000 fine.  Favre led the Packers to their best season in 30 years in the 1996 season, winning his second consecutive MVP award in the process. The Packers led the NFL in points scored as well as fewest points scored against. Green Bay tied the [[Denver Broncos]] for the NFL's best regular season record, 13–3, defeated the San Francisco 49ers and [[Carolina Panthers]] at [[Lambeau Field]] in the playoffs. The Packers advanced to [[Super Bowl XXXI]] at the Louisiana Superdome, a short drive from Favre's hometown.
-In Super Bowl XXXI, Favre completed 14 of 27 passes for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the second play of the game, Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to receiver Andre Rison. Favre also completed an 81-yard touchdown pass to [[Antonio Freeman]] in the second quarter (then a Super Bowl record). Favre rushed for 12 yards and another touchdown, as the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI over the [[New England Patriots]], 35–21. In their 19 games of the season, the Packers had a turnover ratio of plus 24, and outscored their opponents 100–48 in the playoffs.
-Favre and the Packers continued their dominance of the NFC during the next season. Favre was named AP co-MVP of the league along with [[Detroit Lions]]' running back Barry Sanders, his third straight award. Also, Green Bay advanced through the playoffs to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. After being heavily favored by 13 points, the Packers lost to the [[Denver Broncos]] in Super Bowl XXXII by the score of 31–24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, ending the NFC's 13-year Super Bowl winning streak. Favre completed 25 of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception in the losing effort.
 ===[[File:Jets.gif|30px|link=]] New York Jets (2008)===