Saturday, November 20, 2010
Brett Favre Biography and Full Profile.
He has started every Green Bay Packers game after September 20, 1992, when he was summoned in to replace an injured Don Majkowski during game 2 of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. He holds the longest consecutive starts streak for quarterbacks in NFL history, a number that continues to grow despite numerous injuries, including a broken thumb on his right (throwing) hand that he played with for all of 2003.Favre has won the National Football League's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award three times, all in consecutive years (1995-1997; the last was shared with Barry Sanders).During that time, while being treated for various injuries, Favre developed an addiction to Vicodin. He went public with his problem in May, 1996, and immediately sought rehabilitation after a press conference admitting his problem. He remained in rehab for 46 days. Shortly thereafter, he led the Packers to their greatest season in thirty years; the Packers won the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots at the end of the 1996 season.The Packers, led by Favre, fought their way to a second Super Bowl in the 1997 season, losing to the Denver Broncos.
One of the defining moments of Favre's career took place on December 22, 2003, in a Monday-night game against the Oakland Raiders. The day before, his father, who had been his high school coach and lifelong mentor, died. Where most players would have taken the week off, Favre elected instead to play. He threw for an outstanding 399 yards in the game. He then went to his father's funeral in Pass Christian, Mississippi and returned in time to lead the Packers to a 2003 NFC North title with a win over the Denver Broncos.
As of this writing, Brett Favre is still the starting quarterback for the Packers, although in his thirteenth season, rumors are beginning to surface about when he will retire. Favre himself has given indications that he will play for 5-7 more years.He led his team, the Green Bay Packers, to its first Super Bowl championship, in January 1997, since Vince Lombardi was coach, almost three decades earlier. The team won its first championship in 29 seasons, a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Bret Favre also led his team to another Super Bowl the next season in Super Bowl XXXII, in which the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos 31-24. Despite playing with a painful thumb injury on his right or passing hand throughout the season in 1999, Favre became the most durable professional quarterback ever, playing in his 125th straight game. He beat the record of Ron Jaworski of the Philadelphia Eagles of 116 straight games from 1977-1984. He is the only quarterback ever to be named NFL “Most Valuable Player” for three consecutive seasons—1995-1997.Bret Favre is known for more than football only, however. His Bret Favre Forward Foundation, which was established to support charities that provide aid for disadvantaged or disabled children in Mississippi or Wisconsin, has donated more than $395,000 to charities. The charity has given money to: Special Olympics; Cystic Fibrosis; Gaits to Success; Make-A-Wish; Hope Haven; U.S.M. Foundation: Cerebral Palsy; Mississippi Chapter Make-A-Wish Foundation; Mississippi Special Olympics; MHG Development Foundation and Candlelighter for Childhood Cancer.
Favre, who was originally from Mississippi, gives the money to charities in his home state and the state the Packers play in. Money is generated for the charities in a variety of ways including golf tournaments, softball games and dinners.From May 5-6, 2,000, the 5th annual Bret Favre Celebrity Golf Tournament was held at the Bridges Golf Resort in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. A pairings party was May 5, followed by the tournament on May 6.The Bret Favre Celebrity Softball Game was June 3, 2,000 at the Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin.
The golf tournament raised $100,000. The money was given to: Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mississippi Chapter, $20,000; Mississippi Special Olympics, $20,000; MHG Development Foundation, $10,000; Candelighter for Childhood Cancer, $10,000; Hope Haven, $20,000 and Gaits to Success, $20,000.
“ This is certainly a reward to me to be able to contribute money to the many worthwhile charities, which will benefit the children of Mississippi,” Favre said on the website, www.brunoeventteam.com. “ I am blessed for the opportunity to give back to the state of Mississippi and the communities that have supported me for years.”“The Brett Favre Found Forward Foundation is appreciative for the corporate support that allows us to distribute the funds generated for the state of Mississippi’s worthwhile charity organizations,” said Eric Wooten, attorney and Bret Favre Forward Foundation Board of Directors member on the same website.
The charity featured the Brett Favre Forward Foundation Dinner on September 24, 1999, in Green Bay Wisconsin at the Brett Favre Steakhouse. The dinner was preceded by a reception and silent auction. All the proceeds went to charities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. The event marked the first time the community in the Packers hometown became involved in supporting the charity.
There were two corporate packages offered as part of the dinner. In the “Gold” Package, participants paid $2,500 and received: a meal for eight; prepared by Bret’s chef; table wine; a reception prior to the dinner; one autographed Bret Favre jersey; a color photograph of Favre for everyone at the table and a raffle ticket for the Packers game against Seattle and other prizes.
Those purchasing a “Green” ticket for $1,500 received a table for eight, a meal prepared by Brett’s chef and wine and access to a reception prior to the dinner.
Those in attendance saw several highlights during the evening. Local sportscaster Larry McCarren was the emcee. Then Packer head coach, Ray Rhodes was the guest speaker. Packers Leroy Butler, Bernardo Harris and Matt Hasslebeck also made appearances.
During the softball game, the Packers’ defensive team beat the offensive team, 15-11. A capacity crowd of 6,279 watched the game. “Elvis Presley,” representing a local radio station, rushed pitcher Bill Schroeder for a pitch he thought was too close. The pitcher playfully dropped the pitcher to the ground, grabbed his wig and waved it to the crowd. Favre said he planned on making the game an annual event.
Many children who have terminal illnesses in the Make-A-Wish foundation, those with cerebral palsy, cancer and other conditions are glad Favre cares about them. His accomplishments in football are many. He has more goals than just championships and records, however.
There is no doubt, however, that his accomplishments will one day bring him entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Favre was originally a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons before being traded to Green Bay. Green Bay is the least populated city in the country with a major professional sports franchise. The team was hungry for another championship, as in the days of Vince Lombardi and a new star as it then had quarterback Bart Starr. Favre became the most popular NFL quarterback since Joe Montana.
Favre is one of only four quarterbacks to throw for more than 4,000 yards at least three times. The others were: Dan Marino, six times; Warren Moon, four times and Hall of Fame quarterback, Dan Fouts, three. Favre was also chosen as the ninth best player in NFL Player of the Century voting. He has also thrown for 30 or more touchdowns five times, more than any player in history. Marino accomplished the feat four times.
Considering the Packer’s history of championships years before Favre arrived, his club records might seem more impressive. During his tenure, the team had a club record seven straight winning seasons from 1992-1998 and a club record six consecutive playoff appearances from 1993-1998. He was also elected to five Pro Bowls in his first eight seasons and chosen as starter for the NFC from 1995-1997. He did not play in 1997 because of an injury.
Another impressive accomplishment is that Favre threw more touchdown passes than any quarterback in the 1990’s, even though he was not in the league in 1990 and barely played his rookie season with Atlanta. Other quarterbacks who played in the 1990’s included Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Montana and Steve Young.
New Green Bay offensive coordinator, Tom Rossley said on www.packers.com that he is “excited about the opportunity to coach a three time MVP. I think there’s a great fire within him,” he said, adding he thinks Favre can with a fourth MVP.
Favre showed his skills before the NFL. At Southern Mississippi University he set school records for passing, 8,193 yards, attempts, 1,234, completions, 656, percentage, 53% and touchdowns, 55. His 1.57% interception rate was the lowest among the 50 top college passers.
He also showed his toughness just as much as he later would in the NFL. Seriously injured in a traffic accident before his senior season, he opened the season and played one month after having a great deal of his intestines removed. Favre led his team to an 8-3 record that season and was the MVP of the All American Bowl.
After leading Green Bay to it's second consecutive 12-4 record and the team's fourth division title and eighth playoff trip in his 11 years at the helm, the Kiln, Miss., native earned further accolades by being chosen NFL 'Player of the Year' by Sports Illustrated. "Brett is at a stage of his career where there is not a whole lot happening out on the field that he has not experienced at one time or another," explains Mike Sherman head coach of the Packers. "This experience, along with his God-given talent and never-ending passion to play, are what puts him in a league of his own."
A veritable sage in the 'West Coast' offense with over a decade of experience, Favre is equally valuable off the field for his game-planning contributions as he is on it with his patented spirals. His consistently high production level is attested to by his completions, attempts, yards and touchdown totals, tops in the NFL over the past 12 seasons (1991-2002).
Favre Is assured of finishing his career in Green Bay upon the signing of a "lifetime" contract on March 1, 2001, Sherman, calling the signing day "historic," commented on the uniqueness of Favre's relationship with the Packers' organization and fans, saying, "No player in the NFL identifies, or is more closely linked to, a specific team like Brett Favre is to the Green Bay Packers. He embodies the spirit and character of Packer fans everywhere. I do not think there is a player in the NFL that experiences a relationship with the fans like Brett Favre does. That is very, very special." Favre echoed the sentiment, saying, "I enjoy it here. I enjoy the fans and I couldn't envision myself playing for another team."
In a time when personal statistics and individual accolades are often placed ahead of team success, the perennially productive field general desires nothing more than to lead his team to victory, a pursuit at which he has excelled in over a decade at the helm of the Packers.
Not just a football player Favre established the 'Brett Favre Forward Foundation' in 1996; over the past eight years, in conjunction with his annual golf tournament, celebrity softball game and fundraising dinners, foundation has donated in excess of $1.25 million to charities in his home state of Mississippi as well as to those in his adopted state of Wisconsin. An avid golfer, he possesses a handicap in the "one to two" range.
Some of his accomplishments are:
* NFL's only three-time MVP (1995-97)
* Voted to the Pro Bowl (as a starter) for the seventh time in 11 seasons with Green Bay
* Second year in a row, leading vote-getter in fan balloting for the Pro Bowl
* Posted a passer rating of 100-or-more in six games, second-most in the NFL in 2002
* Ranks fifth all-time in passer rating
* Ranked as the ninth-best player in 'NFL Player of the Century' voting
* Won 115 games as a starter - fifth-most in NFL history
* Won at least eight games an NFL-record 11 consecutive seasons (1992-2002)
* Eight playoff berths, including a club-record six in a row (1993-98)
* Three straight NFC Central Division crowns (1995-97)
* Three consecutive NFC Championship Games (1995, 1996, 1997)
* Back-to-back Super Bowl appearances
* Started 173 consecutive games (190 including playoffs) - an all-time NFL record for a quarterback
* Thrown 20-or-more touchdowns in nine consecutive seasons (1994-2002)
* Third place in NFL history in career touchdown passes, with 314
* Only the fourth player ever to reach 300 TDs
* Owns the sixth-best career TD-to-INT ratio in NFL history
* Fourth player in NFL annals to lead the league in TD throws as many as three consecutive seasons (1995-96-97)
* In 2002, became just the eighth player in league history to post 40,000 career passing yards, attaining the plateau in 166 games - third-fastest in NFL history
* Owner of 14 career 4-touchdown games - the third-highest total in NFL history behind only the 21 of Marino and the 17 of Johnny Unitas
* Has (35) 300-yard passing performances - tops among active NFL players
* Only the fourth player in NFL history to pass for both 40,000 yards in the regular season and 4,000 yards in the playoffs
(born Oct. 10, 1969, Gulfport, Miss., U.S.) American professional gridiron football player who broke all the major National Football League (NFL) career passing records as quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.
Favre grew up in Kiln, Miss., and attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he became the football team's starting quarterback while a freshman. He was drafted by the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 1991 but was traded to Green Bay the following year after falling out of favour with Atlanta's coaching staff. Originally a backup quarterback, he started for an injured teammate in the third game of the 1992 season and never relinquished the position. In 1993 Favre led the Packers to their first play-off appearance in 10 years, and he established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. Known for his agility, competitiveness, and field presence, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) a record three consecutive times (1995, 1996, 1997) and led the league in touchdown passes in each MVP year.
At the end of the 1996 season, Favre led the Packers to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. He returned to the Super Bowl the following year, but the Packers lost to John Elway's Denver Broncos in the waning minutes of the game. The Packers were less successful in the years following their two Super Bowl runs, but Favre continued to be productive. He led the league in pass completions in 1998 and 2005, and he had the most passing yards and touchdown passes in 1998 and 2003, respectively. He finished in the top 10 in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes in every season between 1992 and 2007. In addition to these single-season accomplishments, Favre reached unprecedented individual statistical milestones over the course of his career. In the 2007 season he broke Elway's record of 148 career wins as a starting quarterback and Dan Marino's all-time records of 420 touchdown passes and 61,371 passing yards, as well as George Blanda's career interception record of 277. Favre announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2007 NFL season.
In July 2008 Favre let it be known that he wanted to return to the NFL, and he was reinstated by the league the following month. However, his strained relationship with Packers management—as well as the team's commitment to a new starting quarterback—led the Packers to trade him to the New York Jets before the start of the 2008 NFL season. While he was named to his 10th career Pro Bowl in 2008, Favre's one season with the Jets was nevertheless a disappointment. Not only did he lead the league in interceptions and finish the year ranked 21st in passer rating, but, after an 8-3 start, the Jets won a total of only nine games and missed the play-offs. Citing diminished playing skills and an injured biceps, Favre retired once more in February 2009. His previous indecision led many to speculate that he would end his second retirement as the NFL season neared, and, just weeks after publicly stating that he would not be returning, in August 2009 Favre signed to play with the Minnesota Vikings.
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