All week, Favre has called this week “surreal”.
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“I spent the rest of my career trying to redeem myself and make him proud”, Favre said. “I hope I succeeded”.
When Favre took to the stage, he was quick to acknowledge the prominent and positive role that his wife had played in his life and career. I was just having fun. “He was a tremendous part of my life”. He described his dad as being “short on praise”, saying that he always pushed Favre to get better.
“This is tougher than any third-and-15, I can assure you”, a tearing Favre said of talking about the emotion he endured discussing his father.
And while Favre closed the proceedings like only he could, he wasn’t the only name on the marquee this night. I had thought of those things so many times, but I never thought of the Hall of Fame until that moment.
The 46-year-old was introduced to the audience by his wife Deanna who also presented him with the infamous gold jacket.
“Believe me, I am an extremely blessed man”, Favre said Saturday night during an emotional speech spiced with humor and playfulness.
“I’m going for a world record, and I don’t give a damn”. The Jets jumped at the opportunity to add a player of Favre’s caliber to the fold, which led to these top five memorable moments.
“I think he is the guard of the century”, said his presenter, Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.
A second-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 1991 NFL Draft, the former Southern Miss quarterback was traded to the Packers a year later.
The number of people who saw Hutson play are dwindling, but even they will tell you Favre is the greatest player to wear a Packers uniform.
In Green Bay, Favre flourished under head coach Mike Holmgren, who mentored the young gunslinger with exceptional patience.
“He taught me teamwork, and by all means no player was ever more important than the team”. “He’s one of the toughest and most demanding coaches you can be around”. A son is redeemed, and his relationship with his most loyal of fan bases is forever restored.
Favre stepped to the podium with no prepared words, just as he said would be the case, and proceeded to open up from the heart and leave it all out there on the table.
Stabler had an outstanding career in the National Football League, winning a Super Bowl with the Oakland Raiders and taking part in several memorable plays during his career.
Quarterback Brett Favre, an NFL MVP three straight years beginning in 1995 and a Super Bowl victor, played 20 seasons and 302 games with four teams – the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.
Along the way, the free-wheeling Favre threw for an NFL-record 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns, marks that were later eclipsed by Peyton Manning. And the man who acquired Favre for the Packers in a deal that changed the destiny of the franchise, former general manager Ron Wolf, was with him on stage as a Hall inductee from previous year.
“Packer fans are pretty special”, Favre said.
And, though it is work-related travel, I didn’t need my computer – except, as I realized after touching down in Tampa on Friday, to write this column. “But make no mistake about, I will be remembered as a Packer”.
On the stage surrounded by his peers, wearing his gold jacket and with 22,469 watching, Brett Favre chose to admit the first time it ever occurred to him that he wanted to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Favre retired a handful of times, before inevitably changing his mind time after time.
The one thing that I am really confused about is why the Denver Broncos only have four players in the Hall of Fame.
So if you’ve never heard of some of the guys blocking or tackling, running or catching, well, there are people throughout the league who barely know them right now, too.
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“Being real, authentic and spontaneous and loving the game was what it was all about”.
