Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969 in )
is an
American football quarterback for the
Minnesota Vikings. He was the starting
quarterback for the
Green Bay
Packers between
1992 and
2007, and for the
New York Jets in
2008.
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 the
Atlanta Falcons (33rd
overall). After one season with the Falcons, Favre was
traded to the Green Bay Packers on February 10, 1992, for the 19th
pick in the
1992 NFL Draft. He became
the Packers' starting quarterback in the fourth game of the
1992 season, starting every game
from then until his retirement in 2008. In 2008, Favre came out of
retirement, was traded to the New York Jets, and continued his
consecutive start streak. On February 11, 2009, Favre told the New
York Jets that he was again retiring. He came out of retirement for
the second time and signed with the Minnesota Vikings on August 18,
2009.
Favre is the only player to win the
AP Most Valuable Player three consecutive times (1995–97). He
led the Packers to seven division championships (
1995,
1996,
1997,
2002,
2003,
2004, and
2007), four
NFC Championship Games (
1995,
1996,
1997, and
2007), winning two (1996 and
1997), and two
Super Bowl appearances,
winning one (
Super Bowl XXXI).
He holds many 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.
Early years
Favre was
born in Gulfport,
Mississippi
, and raised in the small town of Kiln
. He
is of French and
Choctaw ancestry; one of
his paternal grandparents was a
Native American
affiliated with the
Choctaw. He was the
second of four children and attended
Hancock North Central High
School where he played baseball and football. Favre started for
the Hancock North Central baseball team as an eighth–grader and
earned five varsity letters. He played
quarterback,
lineman,
strong
safety,
placekicker and
punter in a primarily
option, run-oriented offense coached by his
father, Irvin Favre.
Irvin Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but also knew that
the school was blessed with good
running
backs. As a result, in the three years Brett was on the team,
his father ran a run-oriented offense called the
wishbone. Favre rarely threw more than
five passes in a game.
College career
After high
school Southern Mississippi
offered Favre a scholarship (the only one he
received). Southern Miss wanted him to play
defensive back but Favre wanted to play
quarterback instead. Favre began his freshman year as the
seventh–string quarterback and took over the starting position in
the second half of the third game of the year against
Tulane on September 19, 1987.
Favre, despite suffering a hangover from the night before and
vomiting during warm-ups, led the Golden Eagles to a
come-from-behind victory with two touchdown passes.
In his junior season, Favre led the
Golden Eagles to an
upset of
Florida
State (then ranked sixth in the nation) on September 2, 1989.
Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game–winning
touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.
On July 14, 1990, before the start of Favre's senior year at
Southern
Miss, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident. When going
around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre
lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest
against a tree. It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car
window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated to the
hospital. In the ambulance, his mother was sitting with him. "All I
kept asking [her] was 'Will I be able to play football again?'"
Favre recalled later. Doctors would later remove of Favre's
small intestine. Six weeks after
this incident, on September 8, Favre led Southern Miss to a
comeback victory over
Alabama. Alabama
coach
Gene Stallings said, "You can
call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know
that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."
Favre continues to hold various Southern Miss football records. As
of the end of the 2007 season, he holds the career individual
record in the following categories: most plays, most total yards
gained, most passing yards gained, most completions made, and most
passing attempts made. He had held the record for the most
touchdowns scored (52), but it was later tied by quarterback
Lee Roberts, who
played for the school from 1995–98. Favre had 15 games over his
career where he compiled more than 200 passing yards, making him
the fourth all–time school leader in that category. Of those 15
games, 5 were 300–yard games, the most compiled by any of the
school's quarterbacks. Additionally, he was the seasonal leader in
total passing and total offense in all four of his seasons at
Southern Miss.
Favre earned a teaching degree with an emphasis in
special education from the University of
Southern Mississippi.
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 four 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 offseason. 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.
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 AP MVP
awards, a feat matched only once since. 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 AP MVP 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, the highest of his career. 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 to the Super Bowl for the
second year in a row.
After being heavily favored, the Packers lost
to the Denver Broncos in
Super Bowl XXXII by the score of
31-24 at Qualcomm
Stadium
in San
Diego
. Favre completed 25 of 42 passes for
256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception in the losing
effort.
1998–2003
Favre and the Packers continued posting positive results through
the next few seasons. Through the 2004 season, the Packers had the
longest streak of non-losing seasons (13) in the NFL, despite an
8–8 record under coach
Ray Rhodes, a 9–7
season under coach
Mike Sherman, and no
playoff berths in either 1999 or 2000. The streak ended in 2005,
with the Packers finishing 4–12 overall.On March 1, 2001, Favre
signed a "lifetime" contract extension, which technically was a
10–year contract extension worth around
$100
million dollars.
In the
regular season finale of 2001, Favre was the target of minor
controversy when, in a game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium
, he was sacked by the Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. It was Strahan's
lone sack of the game and gave him the NFL's single–season sack
record of 22.5, which topped
Mark
Gastineau's record of 22 set in 1984. Some analysts, such as
Mike Freeman of
The New York
Times, expressed the opinion that Favre allowed himself to
be sacked in order to allow Strahan to set the record.
2003 Oakland Raiders game
One day after his father died of a
heart attack or
stroke, Favre decided to play in a December 22, 2003,
Monday Night Football
game against the
Oakland
Raiders. Favre passed for four touchdowns in the first half and
399 total yards in a 41–7 victory over the Raiders on international
television (even receiving applause from "
Raider Nation"). Afterwards, Favre said, "I
knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much
and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to
my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know
he was watching tonight." He was named NFC Offensive Player of the
Week for his performance.
He then went to his father's funeral in
Pass
Christian, Mississippi
. Favre won an
ESPY
Award for his
Monday Night Football performance.
2004–2006
A notable game in the
2004 season in
which Favre and the Packers finished 10–6 was against the
New York Giants. During the
game, Favre suffered a concussion. He did not receive medical
clearance to re-enter the game. Despite the concussion, Favre threw
a 28 yard touchdown to
Javon Walker on
a fourth down play. Afterwards it was reported that Favre did not
remember throwing the touchdown pass.
After the death of his father, a series of events related to
Favre's family were reported in the media.
In October 2004, ten
months after the death of Favre's father, his brother-in-law, Casey
Tynes, was killed in an all-terrain
vehicle accident on Favre's Mississippi
property.
Soon after in 2004, Favre's wife,
Deanna
Favre, was diagnosed with
breast
cancer. Following aggressive treatment through 2004, she
recovered. She created The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation which
supports breast cancer education and women's breast imaging and
diagnosis services for all women, including those who are medically
underserved.

In late August 2005, Favre's family
suffered another setback:
Hurricane
Katrina blew through Mississippi, destroying his family's home
there; however, none of his family members were injured.
Brett and
Deanna's property in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
was also extensively damaged by the storm.
Favre elected to continue to play in the 2005 season.
For the
2005 season, the
Packers, despite throwing for
over 3,000 yards for a record 14th consecutive time, Favre had
a below average season with only 20 touchdown passes and a
league-leading 29 interceptions. The loss of guards
Marco Rivera and
Mike
Wahle to
free agency along with key
injuries to
Javon Walker,
Ahman Green,
Bubba
Franks, among others, hampered Favre and the team. His passer
rating was 70.9, 31st in the NFL and the worst single season rating
of his career.After the disappointing season, many speculated that
Favre would retire. However, on April 26, 2006, Favre announced
that he would remain with the team for the 2006 season. Despite
earlier comments that the 2006 season would be his last, Favre
announced in a press conference on May 6, 2006, that he had not
ruled out the possibility of returning beyond the 2006
season.
For the
2006 season, the
Packers, Favre suffered his
first career
shutout
against the
Chicago Bears.
Later in the season, the
New England Patriots shut
out the Packers in a game where he was injured before halftime and
could not complete the game. On September 24, 2006, he became just
the second quarterback in NFL history to record 400 touchdown
passes (
Dan Marino being the first). He
connected with rookie wide receiver
Greg
Jennings on a 5–yard pass that Jennings turned into a 75–yard
touchdown play during a win against the Detroit Lions. He also
became the first player ever to complete 5,000 passes in his
career. On December 31, 2006, the Packers played their last game of
the season, winning 26–7 against the Chicago Bears. It was his 22nd
career win versus the Bears, moving him to an all-time record of
22–8.
Milestone season (2007)
On
February 26, 2007, Brett Favre underwent minor arthroscopic ankle
surgery in Green
Bay
, Wisconsin
to remove a buildup of bone
spurs in his left ankle.
Favre began the
2007 season trailing
in a number of career NFL passing records. On September 16, 2007,
Favre and the
Packers
defeated the
New York
Giants to give Favre his record setting 149th win, passing
John Elway. On September 30, Favre threw
a 16 yard touchdown pass to
Greg
Jennings in a game against the Vikings. This was his 421st NFL
touchdown pass, and set a new all time record, surpassing
Dan Marino's 420.
On November 4, 2007, after the Packers defeated the
Kansas City Chiefs 33–22,
Favre became only the 3rd quarterback to have defeated all
thirty-one other current NFL teams. He joined
Peyton Manning and
Tom
Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to do this, just
the week after the two of them achieved the accomplishment. On
Thanksgiving 2007, Favre led
the Packers to a 37–26 win over the
Lions, and brought Packers to a
10–1 record. He won the Galloping Gobbler award, given by the
broadcasters at Fox to the game MVP. Favre threw three touchdown
passes for his 63rd career game with at least three touchdowns,
surpassing Marino's former record of 62.
Favre led the Packers to a 13–3 regular season record, the
NFC North championship, and the second seed in the
NFC playoffs. Prior to the Packers' playoff game against the
Seattle Seahawks, Favre
stated his desire to continue playing football for another season.
In the
Divisional Playoffs,
Favre threw three touchdowns as the Packers cruised to a 42–20
victory over the Seahawks at a snowy Lambeau Field. The Packers'
season ended the following week when they suffered a 23–20 overtime
loss in the
NFC Championship
Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion
New York Giants. Negotiating
sub-zero temperatures, Favre amassed 236 passing yards and two
touchdowns, but also threw an interception in overtime that set up
the Giants' game-winning field goal. Favre's 90–yard touchdown pass
to
Donald Driver in the second quarter
was the longest pass in Packers playoff history, and it extended
Favre's NFL record for consecutive postseason games with a
touchdown pass to 18. Favre stated after the game that he would
make a decision more quickly than he has in the past regarding
whether he would return for another season.
Favre's milestone 2007 season culminated with his selection to the
2008 Pro Bowl as the starting
quarterback for the NFC, but an ankle injury forced him to
withdraw.
Retirement and return (2008)
On March 4, 2008, Favre formally announced his retirement. Although
Favre stated that he had been willing to play another year, he felt
that another season would only be successful if he led his team to
another
Super Bowl victory. He added the
chances for a Super Bowl win are small, and that he wasn't up for
the challenge. At his press conference, Favre openly wept about
leaving the NFL. He stated that his decision, regardless of what
was being said in the media, had nothing to do with what the
Packers did or didn't do. He said, seemingly contradictory to
Cook's statements, that his decision to retire was based on the
fact that he didn't want to play anymore. He said during the
conference, "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to. And
that's really what it comes down to."
On July 2, 2008, it was reported that Favre was in contact with the
Packers about a possible return to the team. On July 11, 2008,
Favre sent a letter to the Packers asking for his unconditional
release to allow him to play for another NFL team. Packers general
manager
Ted Thompson announced he would
not grant Favre an unconditional release and reaffirmed the
organization's commitment to
Aaron
Rodgers as its new quarterback. Complicating matters is Favre's
unique contract giving him the leverage to void any potential trade
by not reporting to the camp of the team he might be traded to if
the Packers elect to go that route.
Favre spoke publicly for the first time about his potential
comeback in a July 14, 2008, interview with
Greta Van Susteren on the
Fox News Channel's
On the Record with Greta
Van Susteren. In the interview, Favre said he was "guilty
of retiring early," that he was "never fully committed" to
retirement, and that he was pressured by the Packers to make a
decision before the
NFL Draft and the
start of the
free agent signing
period. Favre disputed the notion that he doesn't want to play
for Green Bay and said that while he understands the organization
has decided to move on, they should now allow him to do the same.
He made clear that he would not return to the Packers as a backup
and reiterated his desire to be released rather than traded, which
would allow him the freedom to play for a competitive team. Favre
also accused the Packers of being dishonest, wishing the team would
have been straightforward with him and the public.
In the second part of the interview, which aired on July 15, Favre
expressed his frustration with Packer management, spoke of his
sympathy for successor
Aaron Rodgers'
predicament, and affirmed he is 100 percent committed to playing
football in 2008.
FOXSports.com's
Jay
Glazer reported on July 16, 2008, that the Packers filed
tampering charges against the
Minnesota Vikings with the league office,
alleging improper communication between Vikings offensive
coordinator
Darrell Bevell and Favre,
although one source suggested that Favre may have been in contact
with Vikings head coach
Brad
Childress. After an investigation, Commissioner
Roger Goodell ruled there had been no
violation of tampering rules.
Favre formally filed for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29,
2008, and his petition was granted by Commissioner Goodell,
effective August 4, 2008. Favre then flew to Green Bay to report to
Packers training camp. After a lengthy meeting with head coach
Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted
Thompson, however, both sides agreed it was time for Favre and the
organization to part ways. McCarthy sensed Favre wasn't in "the
right mind-set" to resume playing for the Packers, while Favre felt
that his relationship with Packer management had deteriorated to
the point that a return to the team would be untenable.
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. This performance
led to him being selected as the
FedEx Air Player
of the Week. 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. However, it was stated
that Favre would only need an
arthroscopic procedure, and not major
surgery.
Minnesota Vikings (2009–present)
After the 2008 season, 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. In May 2009, Favre asked for and was granted a
release from the Jets Reserve/Retired list, freeing him to sign
with any team. Amid speculation that Favre would once again attempt
a comeback, it was reported that Favre had undergone arthroscopic
surgery to complete a tear in his throwing arm. On June 15, 2009,
Favre stated he was considering playing again, most likely with the
Minnesota Vikings. On July 28,
Brett Favre informed Vikings officials that he would remain
retired.
On the morning of August 18, 2009, WCCO-TV
, a CBS affiliate in Minneapolis
, Minnesota
reported that Favre would sign with the Minnesota
Vikings later in the day. ESPN.com later reported the same
news, as Favre would sign a contract with the Vikings pending a
physical.
After months of negotiations, and at one point telling the Vikings
he would remain retired, Favre officially signed with the Minnesota
Vikings on August 18, 2009. When Favre un-retired for the second
time, some in the sports world claimed his legacy as a football
player has become overshadowed by his need for attention. He was
signed to a two-year, $25 million deal.During Week 2, on September
20, Favre surpassed former Vikings defensive end
Jim Marshall for
consecutive starts at one position, with 291.
On October 5, with a 30-23 victory over his former team the Green
Bay Packers, which he was with for 16 seasons, Favre became the
first quarterback in NFL history to defeat every one of the
league's 32 franchises since the NFL first expanded to 32
franchises in 2002. This
Monday
night game between Minnesota and Green Bay was the most-viewed
television program, sports or otherwise, in the history of cable
television. The game drew a 15.3 rating and had 21.8 million
viewers.
With Week five's win against the
St.
Louis Rams, Favre started the 2009 season 5-0, which was a
personal best in his career. That same game, he also recorded the
second reception of his career. His first catch was in 1992, his
first NFL completion. Then, he outdid himself by going to 6-0 after
defeating the
Baltimore
Ravens.
On November 1, Favre returned to Green Bay to play his former team.
After receiving boos from fans in the stadium he called home for 16
years, Favre went on to complete 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards. His
four touchdown passes in this game tied
Dan
Marino's career record of 21 four-touchdown games.
[281571] Favre and the Vikings claimed a 38-26
victory to improve to 7-1. The game drew a 17.4 rating and 29.8
million viewers, better Game 4 of the
World Series between the
New York Yankees and
Philadelphia Phillies.
[281572]
On Novermber 22, Favre threw four touchdowns in the 35-9 victory
over the
Seattle Seahawks, taking
the Vikings to 9-1. Brett's four touchdown passes in this game
surpassed Dan Marino's previous record, taking it to 22
four-touchdown games. Favre completed 22 of his 25 throws for a
career-high 88 percent. His previous career high was 85.2 percent
against Detroit on Sept. 20.
Career achievements
- For a more detailed list, see List of career
achievements by Brett Favre
Honors and awards

Favre warming up before the Green Bay
Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles game; September 9, 2007, at Lambeau
Field
Records and milestones
As of Week 11 of the
2009 regular
season, Favre owned or shared most of the well-known NFL career
records for quarterbacks, including:
- Consecutive
starts: 282 (304 including playoffs)
- Most
consecutive starts by a position player : 282
- Career
regular-season victories by a starting quarterback: 179
(Regular-season record: 179-101)
- Career passing touchdowns: 488
- Career passing yards: 68,001
- Career pass completions: 5,937
- Career pass attempts: 9,638
- Career interceptions thrown: 313
- Career games with at least three touchdown passes: 70
- Career games with at least four touchdown passes: 22
- Seasons with at least 30 touchdown passes: 8
- Consecutive seasons with at least 30 touchdown passes: 5
- Seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards: 17
- Consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards: 17
- AP NFL MVP awards: 3 (1995, 1996, 1997) (tied with Peyton Manning)
- Career playoff interceptions thrown: 28 (tied with Jim Kelly)
- Career playoff losses as starting QB: 10 (tied with Dan Marino)
Favre is the only quarterback to have led a team to victory over
all thirty-two teams in the league since the NFL first expanded to
32 franchises in 2002.
Favre is one of four quarterbacks to lead the league in touchdown
passes four times. The others are
Johnny
Unitas,
Len Dawson and
Steve Young. In addition,
Favre owns a number of team records, having printed his name into
almost every passing category in the annals of
Green Bay Packers history.
Most recently, he set the team record for consecutive completions
with 20 on November 22, 2007, against the
Detroit Lions.
Consecutive starts streak
Since first being named the starter of the Green Bay Packers before
playing the
Pittsburgh Steelers
on September 27, 1992, Brett Favre has never missed a game. He is
currently in first place for the
most consecutive
starts by a quarterback in the NFL and one of only five
quarterbacks to have started over 100 consecutive games in NFL
history. He failed to finish a game due to injury on only six
occasions since taking control of the Packers as quarterback.
Besides Favre, there is only one other active streak of 100 or more
games among quarterbacks, that of
Peyton
Manning. Since the beginning of Favre's consecutive start
streak, 212 other quarterbacks have started in the NFL, 12 of them
being back-ups to Favre at one point. Among his former backups are:
Don Majkowski,
Ty
Detmer,
Kurt Warner,
Mark Brunell,
Steve
Bono,
Doug Pederson,
Matt Hasselbeck,
Danny Wuerffel,
Aaron Brooks,
J.T. O'Sullivan, and current Packers starter
Aaron Rodgers. Two veteran backups to
Favre never started another NFL game:
Jim
McMahon, and
T.J. Rubley.
The consecutive starts streak is widely
considered one of the most notable streaks in sports, so much so
that the Pro Football Hall of Fame
has as an exhibit displaying the jersey Favre wore
during his record breaking 117th consecutive start as a
quarterback, and a section of their website devoted to what the
Hall of Fame calls an "Iron Man".
In 2009, Favre surpassed
Jim Marshall for starts at
any position with his record-breaking 271st start as a quarterback
as the Vikings played the Lions.
Personal life
Favre married
Deanna Tynes on July 14,
1996. Together they have two daughters, Brittany (born 1989) and
Breleigh (born 1999). They are members of the
Roman Catholic Church.
Favre's parents, Bonita and Irvin, until his death, help manage his
holdings in agriculture and real estate, handle his endorsements
and appearances and oversee his charity work. Brett and Bonita
Favre released a book in 2004 titled
Favre (ISBN
978-1590710364) which discusses their personal family and
Green Bay Packers family, including the
Monday Night Football
game that followed the death of Brett's father Irvin Favre.
Favre established the
Brett Favre Fourward
Foundation in 1996. In conjunction with his annual golf
tournament, celebrity softball game and fundraising dinners, the
foundation has donated more than $2 million to charities in his
home state of Mississippi as well as to those in his adopted state
of Wisconsin.
The Favre
family also owns and operates the Brett Favre's Steakhouse, located
in Green
Bay
, Wisconsin
.
Stats
Brett Favre's stats so far:
Regular
Season |
Passing |
Rushing |
Fumbles |
YEAR |
TEAM |
GP |
GS |
ATT |
CMP |
CMP% |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
LNG |
20+ |
40+ |
SK |
SKY |
YPA |
YPG |
TD% |
INT% |
RATE |
W |
L |
ATT |
YDS |
AVG |
TD |
LNG |
1ST |
FUM |
LOST |
RCVD |
1991 |
ATL |
2 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
50.0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1992 |
GB |
15 |
13 |
471 |
302 |
64.1 |
3,227 |
18 |
13 |
76T |
30 |
9 |
34 |
208 |
6.9 |
215.1 |
3.8 |
2.8 |
85.3 |
8 |
5 |
47 |
198 |
4.2 |
1 |
19 |
11 |
12 |
4 |
3 |
1993 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
522 |
318 |
60.9 |
3,303 |
19 |
24 |
66T |
37 |
5 |
30 |
199 |
6.3 |
206.4 |
3.6 |
4.6 |
72.2 |
9 |
7 |
58 |
216 |
3.7 |
1 |
27 |
13 |
14 |
6 |
2 |
1994 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
582 |
363 |
62.4 |
3,882 |
33 |
14 |
49 |
44 |
4 |
31 |
188 |
6.7 |
242.6 |
5.7 |
2.4 |
90.7 |
9 |
7 |
42 |
202 |
4.8 |
2 |
36T |
14 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
1995 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
570 |
359 |
63.0 |
4,413 |
38 |
13 |
99T |
59 |
5 |
33 |
217 |
7.7 |
275.8 |
6.7 |
2.3 |
99.5 |
11 |
5 |
39 |
181 |
4.6 |
3 |
40 |
17 |
8 |
4 |
0 |
1996 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
543 |
325 |
59.9 |
3,899 |
39 |
13 |
80T |
49 |
11 |
40 |
241 |
7.2 |
243.7 |
7.2 |
2.4 |
95.8 |
13 |
3 |
49 |
136 |
2.8 |
2 |
23 |
18 |
11 |
4 |
5 |
1997 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
513 |
304 |
59.3 |
3,867 |
35 |
16 |
74 |
61 |
9 |
25 |
176 |
7.5 |
241.7 |
6.8 |
3.1 |
92.6 |
13 |
3 |
58 |
187 |
3.2 |
1 |
16 |
16 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
1998 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
551 |
347 |
63.0 |
4,212 |
31 |
23 |
84T |
47 |
9 |
38 |
223 |
7.6 |
263.2 |
5.6 |
4.2 |
87.8 |
11 |
5 |
40 |
133 |
3.3 |
1 |
35 |
13 |
8 |
2 |
3 |
1999 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
595 |
341 |
57.3 |
4,091 |
22 |
23 |
74T |
52 |
11 |
35 |
223 |
6.9 |
255.7 |
3.7 |
3.9 |
74.7 |
8 |
8 |
28 |
142 |
5.1 |
0 |
20 |
11 |
9 |
4 |
1 |
2000 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
580 |
338 |
58.3 |
3,812 |
20 |
16 |
67T |
41 |
7 |
33 |
236 |
6.6 |
238.2 |
3.4 |
2.8 |
78.0 |
9 |
7 |
27 |
108 |
4.0 |
0 |
18 |
7 |
9 |
5 |
2 |
2001 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
510 |
314 |
61.6 |
3,921 |
32 |
15 |
67T |
53 |
13 |
22 |
151 |
7.7 |
245.1 |
6.3 |
2.9 |
94.1 |
12 |
4 |
38 |
56 |
1.5 |
1 |
14 |
5 |
16 |
6 |
6 |
2002 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
551 |
341 |
61.9 |
3,658 |
27 |
16 |
85T |
39 |
7 |
26 |
188 |
6.6 |
228.6 |
4.9 |
2.9 |
85.6 |
12 |
4 |
25 |
73 |
2.9 |
0 |
17 |
6 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
2003 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
471 |
308 |
65.4 |
3,361 |
32 |
21 |
66T |
42 |
7 |
19 |
137 |
7.1 |
210.1 |
6.8 |
4.5 |
90.4 |
10 |
6 |
18 |
15 |
0.8 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
2004 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
540 |
346 |
64.1 |
4,088 |
30 |
17 |
79T |
50 |
12 |
12 |
93 |
7.6 |
255.5 |
5.6 |
3.1 |
92.4 |
10 |
6 |
16 |
36 |
2.3 |
0 |
17 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2005 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
607 |
372 |
61.3 |
3,881 |
20 |
29 |
59 |
40 |
7 |
24 |
170 |
6.4 |
242.6 |
3.3 |
4.8 |
70.9 |
4 |
12 |
18 |
62 |
3.4 |
0 |
20 |
4 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
2006 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
613 |
343 |
56.0 |
3,885 |
18 |
18 |
82T |
49 |
8 |
21 |
134 |
6.3 |
242.8 |
2.9 |
2.9 |
72.7 |
8 |
8 |
23 |
29 |
1.3 |
1 |
14 |
4 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
2007 |
GB |
16 |
16 |
535 |
356 |
66.5 |
4,155 |
28 |
15 |
82T |
49 |
16 |
15 |
93 |
7.8 |
259.7 |
5.2 |
2.8 |
95.7 |
13 |
3 |
29 |
12 |
0.4 |
0 |
21 |
3 |
9 |
3 |
4 |
2008 |
NYJ |
16 |
16 |
522 |
343 |
65.7 |
3,472 |
22 |
22 |
56T |
40 |
7 |
30 |
213 |
6.7 |
217.0 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
81.0 |
9 |
7 |
21 |
43 |
2.0 |
1 |
27 |
4 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
2009 |
MIN |
11 |
11 |
358 |
248 |
69.3 |
2,874 |
24 |
3 |
63 |
37 |
10 |
22 |
164 |
7.5 |
261.3 |
6.3 |
1.2 |
112.1 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
-2 |
-0.4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
19 Seasons |
283 |
277 |
9,638 |
5,968 |
61.9 |
68,001 |
488 |
313 |
99T |
804 |
153 |
487 |
3,228 |
7.0 |
238.6 |
5.0 |
3.1 |
86.4 |
176 |
101 |
582 |
1,826 |
3.1 |
14 |
40 |
151 |
158 |
67 |
40 |
Notes and references
- "ROUNDUP; Smerlas, Morris Try New Teams",Washington Post, July
19, 1991.
- http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10120428
- Brett Favre 2008 statistics
- Report: Favre has torn biceps; Cowher not
interested in Jets
- [1]
- [2]
-
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jeff_pearlman/08/18/Brettfavre/index.html?eref=sihpT1
- http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12082000
- http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=291005016
- http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1487007.html
- Favre shakes off boos....
- Packer fans compare Brett Favre to Fredo,
Judas
- "Career Games Started Leaders",
Pro-Football-Reference.com
- "Favre sets NFL mark before leaving early",
NFL.com
- "NFL Records, NFL.com
- Brett Favre's profile, NFL.com
External links