Favre said that on the plane ride to MS for his father’s funeral after the Oakland game, Deanna told him: “Your dad had said to me that he had hoped or could not wait for the day you’re inducted into the Hall of Fame so he could introduce you”.
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“I would not be here without my father”, Favre said. “I said to myself, ‘I will make it to the Hall of Fame so I could acknowledge the fact of how important he was'”.
And then the emotions hit.
“This is way tougher than any third-and-15”, he said. It was dark. And I overheard my father talking to the three other coaches, and I heard him – and I assume I didn’t play as well the previous week only because of what he said – and he said: ‘I can assure you one thing about my son, he will play better.
“I would not trade my four years at Southern Miss for anything”, Favre said. “I hope I succeeded”. Instead, Deanna performed the honor.
Favre was presented by his wife, Deanna, but that honor would have been his father’s if he were still alive. “So it was an easy choice”. Named NFL MVP in 1974, Stabler led the Raiders to a championship in Super Bowl XI.
With Tom Benson Stadium overflowing with Packers fans, Brett Favre delivered a personal Hall of Fame acceptance speech.
That event served as the final mend between the Packers, their fans and Favre, who originally retired in 2008 only to change his mind later that summer.
“A new goal entered then and there”, Favre told a highly charged Packers crowd. “All this excitement’s got me wanting to call Ed Werder and spread the word again”. Thompson was in the crowd Saturday and led a contingent of Packers that included quarterback Aaron Rodgersandkicker Mason Crosby, who arethe only two current Packers who played with Favre, and coach Mike McCarthy. “It’s nearly like a home game for the Packers”. Just listen to this [chant of “Go Pack Go”].
Favre’s father shaped him as a player and taught him one of the most important lessons one can learn in football – that no player was ever more important than the team.
“For me, it’s just a remarkable sense of pride”.
“As I like to say, Ron Wolf made it cool to come to Green Bay”, Favre said. And it started with Mike Holmgren. But Brett’s ability to do what he did was just remarkable.
“On our flight back (after the game), it was a long flight, as you can imagine”, Farve said. The NFL’s iron-man quarterback started a record 297 consecutive regular-season games. His enthusiasm and love for the game marked his career, which began in Atlanta in 1991 and ended with the Vikings in 2010.
Favre is one of the most well-known gunslingers in National Football League history, and was the first quarterback in National Football League history to pass for 500 touchdowns, throw for more than 70,000 yards, 6,000 completions and 10,000 pass attempts. Peyton Manning eventually surpassed some of Favre’s records, but no one could match his charisma or fan appeal.
“Over my 20 years, I had a blast and I think anyone who watched me play would say that, maybe a little too much”, Favre said.
Favre’s own mother, who is recovering from a hip replacement, practiced what she preached to Favre throughout his life by being there for his induction.
With thousands of Green Bay Packers fans overtaking the place, they waited patiently for the rest of the class of 2016, a terrific group, Dick Stanfel, Ken Stable, Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy, Eddie DeBartolo Jr and Kevin Greene, but the wait was worth it.
Favre spoke the longest. He was always the one to take the blame so he’ll be forever one of my guys. “But there was never one time where I did not give it all I could”. And I said to myself: “I will make it to the Hall of Fame”.
He closed with some advice. He was hard on young players but helped you grow and learn didn’t he?
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“I don’t regret anything”, he concluded. That’s not to say it was ideal. There were many times Mike should’ve pulled me.
