Upon hearing the news my beloved Green Bay Packers had traded their upcoming first-round draft pick for some unknown quarterback named Brett Favre back in 1992, I was, to say the least, a bit incensed.
In reality, Green Bay fans didn't think they needed a new quarterback, especially some unproven, shoot-from-the-hip hillbilly who seemed a lot more like a project than a savior when he showed up at training camp in the spring of '92.
But by the end of his rookie season, Favre's cannon-like arm and swashbuckling demeanor were good enough to earn him a spot on the Pro Bowl team, while helping the Packers to a 9-7 mark. By the following season, Favre was on his way to building a Hall of Fame career as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
RECORDS
From Sept. 20, 1992 to the close of the 2007 season, Favre started 275 straight games (including playoffs), far and away the NFL record for quarterbacks and the accomplishment of which he says he is most proud. Even on his bad days, Favre was fun to watch, thanks to his unmatched passion. His boyish charm endeared him to the world and his tough-as-nails, do-whatever-it-takes approach won him the respect of teammates and opponents, alike.
He breathed life back into franchise that had suffered through more than two decades of mediocrity and failure, and he made certain the ship was pointed in the right direction before deciding to walk away last week. "Jay C. Upchurch
