Favre’s 176 touchdowns were 52 more than the next best quarterback from 1994-98 (Steve Young, 124), and the Packers won more regular season games during that stretch than any team in the NFL.
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Around the 30-minute mark of his epic speech, Favre said: “They told me 8 to 10 minutes”. Being real, authentic and spontaneous, and loving the game, to me, was what it was all about.
On the way back from the game, his mother-in-law Deanna told him: “You know your dad said to me he had hoped or could not wait for the day that you’re inducted into the Hall of Fame so he could introduce you”.
“I can assure you one thing about my son”, his father said.
Favre, who never thought he couldn’t complete a pass, had the National Football League career record in passing yards (71,838), completions (6,300), most 3,000-yard passing seasons (18) and touchdown passes (508) when he retired following the 2010 season after spending his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Packers, Vikings and New York Jets.
In 16 seasons in Green Bay, Favre became the best player in Packers history, the driving force behind the franchise’s unlikely renaissance, quite possibly the most popular NFL player of all time and, on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, the 24th member of the Packers organization to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His enthusiasm and love for the game marked his career, which began in Atlanta in 1991 and ended with the Vikings in 2010. The result was Favre switching teams to the New York Jets, where he spent a year before joining the Minnesota Vikings.
And he just might not be done.
After it was all said and done Packers fans reflected on Brett Favre’s career and explained what he meant to the Packers and how he helped put Green Bay back on the map.
Joining Favre in the class of 2016 were Tony Dungy, a trail-blazing coach and Super Bowl victor; one of Dungy’s stars, Marvin Harrison; Kevin Greene; Orlando Pace; Ken Stabler; Dick Stanfel; and Eddie DeBartolo Jr. He had eight consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 yards receiving as Peyton Manning’s prime target.
Harrison spent his entire 13-year career with the Colts, with whom he compiled 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns.
He came full circle Saturday.
Several fans said they were impressed that the country star’s opening song, “How Bad Do You Want It?” featured football videos behind the stage and around the stadium. “I have the utmost respect for the players who go in, but I just wanted to play, and people who saw me identified with that”.
Like Harrison, he had memories of the Canton shrine, too, recalling visiting the hall when he was 13. As a man who literally died doing what he loved, the acknowledgement that he impacted lives was demonstrable.
Numerous thousands of Packers fans in Canton returned Sunday to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. “So I thank you, Ron, for believing in me, seeing something in me that others didn’t see, probably including myself, and sticking your neck out there for one of the riskiest and craziest trades in National Football League history when you chose to trade a first-round pick for me with Atlanta”.
Ken Stabler, the left-handed quarterback of the 1970s Oakland Raiders known as “Snake”, also was inducted. Green Bay faced off with the Colts Sunday night in Canton for the Hall of Fame game. “You taught us how to be teammates”.
Stabler, who died a year ago, was elected by the Seniors Committee.
He’s equally grateful for the Hall of Fame executive who led the Colts throughout Harrison’s career. He was honored as the Lions’ MVP during their 1953 championship season. But I can say this: There was never one time where I did not give it all I could.
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