Brett Lorenzo Favre could arguably be called the best quarterback the NFL has seen in the past decade.
I think Favre can be called the best quarterback any current Eastern student has ever seen play. Favre holds records in career touchdown passes, most career passing yards and most career pass completions.
Favre played 15 seasons for the Green Bay Packers after being traded from Atlanta where he began his professional career, playing one season. Now Favre is playing his best football in years in a New York Jets uniform.
The Green Bay fans fell in love with the hard-working quarterback from Mississippi. They fell in love with his charm, his energy every time a touchdown was scored, and that wink he had on the sideline.
Favre officially retired last spring and thought he would never come back. Some itch got into Favre, and he wanted to be that kid again.
No one questioned if he had the skill. Age may not be going for Favre, as he turned 39 just last week.
Now the era in Green Bay is over as the Jets get to have the legend on their sideline. The two teams agreed on a trade that sent the disgruntled Favre to a different city – a trade that may pay off big for New York.
The New York Jets are in the midst of a playoff run just a few weeks into the season. Just three weeks ago Favre threw six touchdown passes in one game. After every touchdown he had that smile on his face.
Some have mixed feelings for what Favre did during the offseason. Some may be tired of what Favre has been doing the past few seasons: every year since the end of the 2006 regular season he has left the entire sports world wondering if he will retire.
After each season, Favre usually says he thinks that he is done with the sport, and then at the last minute says he wants to play again.
His successor, Aaron Rodgers, had to wait every year to know if he was going to get a chance to prove he could be the starter. Rodgers had to wait for his opportunity behind the most loved quarterback in Packer’s franchise history. Talk about bad luck.
Now Rodgers is the starter, and Favre is still a Hall of Fame quarterback. Favre is throwing the football with the same zip in New York as he did in Green Bay.
Favre will always want to play football. He may think he is a kid forever, and with the way he has been playing, it is hard to argue that the Favre fire will ever die out. You may not like his antics when it comes to retirement, but he is human like all of us.
Don’t judge Favre for what he has done in the past year. Judge him for what he has done for the past 16 years. He has taken the Packers to two Super Bowls, won three Most Valuable Player awards, and enamored a whole city with his throwing arm.
His fanbase extends beyond Wisconsin to loyal supporters spread across the country. To be even more specific, students at Eastern have fallen in love with the way he plays the game.
It wasn’t even about the money for Favre anymore, as clearly stated when he announced his return on television. It is about the love of the game. He is making the same multi million dollar figure – about 10 million dollars a year – but it seemed he would play for a lot less as long as he was on the field.
The look he gets every time he takes a snap, the sellout crowds that yell his name and the fans who swarmed training camp with his jersey on their backs when they heard rumors that the future hall of famer might return; you can’t blame Favre for not walking away from that sort of fame. Tell me, would you want to walk away from it?