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Brett Lorenzo Favre (pronounced 'Farv') was born on October 10 , 1969 in Gulfport, Mississippi .1 He is the current starting Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Favre started at quarterback for The University Of Southern Mississippi for four years before being selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons .2 After one season with the Falcons, Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers on February 10, 1992 for a first-round draft pick. He became the Packers starting quarterback in the third game of the 1992 NFL Season . Favre is the only consecutive three-time AP in Super Bowl XXXI and a loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII . Favre has played 16 seasons in the NFL and has started every game since his first for the Packers in 1992. His records include most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks with 237 (257 total starts including playoffs) and most completions (5,021). He ranks second behind Dan Marino for career Touchdown passes (414), career attempts (8,223),3 and career passing yards (57,500). With 147 victories as a starting quarterback, Favre is tied with Dan Marino for second; they both trail John Elway's 148.45 Favre has a wife, Deanna , whom he married on July 14 , 1996 . Together they have two daughters, Brittany (born February 6 , 1989 ) and Breleigh (born July 13 , 1999 ).6 EARLY YEARS Irvin Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but also knew that the school was blessed with good Running Back s. As a result, in the three years Brett was on the team, his father ran a run-oriented offense called the Wishbone . Favre rarely threw more than five passes in a game.8 COLLEGE CAREER After high school, Southern Mississippi offered Favre a scholarship (the only one he received). Southern Miss wanted him to play Defensive Back but Favre wanted to play quarterback instead. Favre began his freshman year as the seventh string quarterback and took over the starting position in the second half of the third game of the year against Tulane on September 19 , 1987 . Favre, despite suffering a hangover from the night before and vomiting during warm-ups, led the Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind victory with two touchdown passes. In his junior season, Favre led the Golden Eagles to an upset of Florida State (then ranked sixth in the nation) on September 2 , 1989 . Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game-winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.9 On July 14 , 1990 , before the start of Favre's senior year of college, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident. When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree. It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated to the hospital. On the way there, his mother was inside the ambulance sitting with him. "All I kept asking {Link without Title} was 'Will I be able to play football again?'" Favre recalled later. Doctors would later remove 30 inches of Favre's Small Intestine . Six weeks after this incident, on September 8 , Favre led Southern Miss to a comeback victory over Alabama . Alabama coach Gene Stallings said, "You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."10 Favre earned a Teaching Degree from The University Of Southern Mississippi with an emphasis in Special Education .11 ATLANTA FALCONS CAREER Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, 33rd overall in the 1991 NFL Draft . Atlanta coach Jerry Glanville did not approve of drafting Favre, saying it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre into the game.12 Favre's first pass in a NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown. He only attempted four passes in his career at Atlanta, completing none of them. The Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf traded a first round pick (19th overall, RB Tony Smith , Southern Miss) for Favre during the following offseason. Wolf, while previously the general manager of the New York Jets , had intended to take Favre in the 1991 NFL draft, but Favre was taken by the Falcons on the previous pick. GREEN BAY PACKERS CAREER Brett Favre has played 16 seasons in Green Bay. During his time in Green Bay, Favre has won three consecutive AP MVP awards, the first and only person in NFL history to do so. He helped the Packers appear in two consecutive Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI . Favre has also started every Green Bay Packers game since September 20 , 1992 . Beginnings in Green Bay In the second game of the 1992 season, the Packers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Buccaneers were leading 17-0 at half time when head coach Mike Holmgren benched starting quarterback Don Majkowski and Favre played the second half. On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass which was deflected and caught by himself. Favre was tackled and the completion went for -7 yards. The Packers lost the game 31-3, chalking up only 106 yards passing.1314 In the third game of the . On the next play, Favre threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining. The next week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers began the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. The game ended in a 17-3 victory and his passer rating was 144.6. During the season, Favre helped put together a six-game winning streak for the Packers, the longest winning streak for the club since 1965. They ended 9-7 that season, missing the playoffs on their last game. Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 3,227 yards and a quarterback rating of 85.3 and was elected to his first Pro Bowl .16 The following season, Favre led the Packers to their first playoff berth since 1982 and was named to his second pro bowl. After the season, Favre became a free agent. General manager Ron Wolf negotiated Favre into a five-year, $19 million contract. Favre and the Packers finished the 1994 season 9-7, advancing them to the playoffs in back to back years, a feat the Packers had not accomplished since the Vince Lombardi era.17 In 1995, Favre won the first of his three AP MVP awards. Favre led the Packers to an 11-5 record, Green Bay's best record in nearly thirty years.18 Favre passed for a career high of 4,413 yards and 38 touchdowns, recording a quarterback rating of 99.5, the highest of his career to date. The Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game after upsetting the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Game. The Packers lost the NFC Championship game to the Dallas Cowboys , marking the third year in a row the Packers season was ended by the Cowboys in the playoffs. Favre helped the Packers advance farther in the playoffs than any other Packer team since 1967, the season the Packers won Super Bowl II .19 While being treated for various injuries, Brett Favre developed an addiction to Vicodin , which became publicly known when he suffered a seizure during a hospital visit. Amid an NFL investigation, he went public to avoid any rumors about his condition. In May 1996 he went into treatment and remained in rehabilitation for 46 days. Had he chosen not to go, the NFL would have imposed a $900,000 fine on him.2021 Super Bowl years In Super Bowl XXXI , Favre completed 14 of 27 passes for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the second play of the game, Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to receiver Andre Rison . Favre also completed an 81-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman in the second quarter (then a Super Bowl record). Favre rushed for 12 yards and another touchdown, as the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots , 35-21. In their 19 games of the season, the Packers had a turnover ratio of plus 24, and outscored their opponents 100-48 in the playoffs. Favre and the Packers continued their dominance of the NFC during the next season. Favre was named AP co-MVP of the league along with Detroit Lions ' running back Barry Sanders , his third straight award. Green Bay advanced to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Despite being heavily favored, the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII by the score of 31-24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego . Favre completed 25 of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception in the losing effort.22 Post-Super Bowl seasons defense during the 2004 season]] Favre and the Packers continued posting positive results through the next few seasons. Through the 2004 season, the Packers had the longest streak of non-losing seasons (13) in the NFL, despite an 8-8 record under coach Ray Rhodes , a 9-7 season under coach Mike Sherman , and no playoff berths in either 1999 or 2000. The streak ended in 2005, with the Packers finishing 4-12 overall. Favre has not had as much success in the postseason since Super Bowl XXXII; he is 2-5 in the playoffs since the 1998 season.23 Two of those losses were at home in the Wild-card Game , and they were the first postseason losses ever for Green Bay at Lambeau Field . Since 1998, he has recorded 149 completions on 249 attempts for 1,804 yards, with 11 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions, leaving him with a quarterback passer rating of 70.1 in the playoffs.24 In March 2001, Favre signed a "lifetime" contract with the Packers, making him the first $100 million player in NFL history. Strahan controversy Favre was the target of controversy at the end of 2001 when, in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford , New Jersey , Favre rolled to his right and slid down at the feet of hard-charging Giants defensive end Michael Strahan . It was Strahan's lone sack of the game and gave him the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5, which topped Mark Gastineau 's record of 22 set in 1984.25 Favre claimed he had changed the play at the line of scrimmage, but the rest of the team appeared to run a different play than Favre's. The Packers were winning the game handily and Favre's offensive line had relegated Strahan to a non-factor for the majority of the game. Players and fans from around the league were highly critical of the play. Mike Freeman of '' The New York Times '' wrote: "Yes, Mr. Favre, Strahan deserves the record, but please, handing it to him the way you did, as if you were throwing change into a Salvation Army bucket, is the kind of mistake Favre may never live down".26 2003 Oakland Raiders game One of the defining moments of Favre's career took place on December 22 , 2003 , in a Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders , the day after his father, Irvin, died suddenly of a Heart Attack while driving his car. Favre elected to play and passed for four touchdowns in the first half and 399 total yards in a 41-7 victory over the Raiders on international television (even receiving applause from the highly partisan " Raider Nation "). Afterwards, Favre said, "I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight."27 He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.28 He then went to his father's funeral in Pass Christian, Mississippi . Favre won an ESPY Award for his Monday Night Football performance.29 Recent years In the 2005 Green Bay Packers Season , despite throwing for over 3,000 yards for a record 14th consecutive time, Favre had a below average season with only 20 touchdown passes and a league-leading 29 interceptions. The loss of guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle to Free Agency along with key injuries to Javon Walker , Ahman Green , and others, hampered Favre and the Packers in 2005. His passer rating was 70.9, 31st in the NFL and the worst single season rating of his career. 30 After the disappointing 2005 season, many speculated that Favre would retire.31 However, on April 26 , 2006 , Favre announced that he would remain with the team for the 2006 Season . Despite earlier comments that the 2006 season would be his last, Favre announced in a press conference on May 6 , 2006 that he had not ruled out the possibility of returning beyond the 2006 season.32 In the 2006 Green Bay Packers Season , Favre suffered his first career Shutout against the Chicago Bears. Later in the season, the New England Patriots shut out the Packers in a game where Favre was injured before halftime and could not complete the game.3334 On September 24 , 2006 , Favre became the second quarterback in NFL history to record 400 touchdown passes ( Dan Marino being the first). He connected with rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings on a 5-yard pass that Jennings turned into a 75-yard touchdown play during a win against the Detroit Lions. 35 He also became the first player ever to complete 5,000 passes in his career. On December 31 , 2006 the Packers played their last game of the season, winning 26-7 against the Chicago Bears . It was his 22nd career win over Chicago, moving him to an all-time record of 22-8 against Green Bay's historic rivals. On February 2 , 2007 , Brett Favre announced that he will return for the 2007 Season . "I am so excited about coming back," the 37-year-old quarterback said to '' The Sun Herald '' in Biloxi , Mississippi . He also commented, "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year, and that's encouraging."363738 On February 26 , 2007 , Brett Favre underwent minor arthroscopic ankle surgery in Green Bay , Wisconsin to remove a buildup of bone spurs in his left ankle. Favre has made a full recovery and attended team workouts in May 2007.39 FAMILY MISFORTUNES On Sunday, .40 Ten months after the death of Favre's father, his brother-in-law, Casey Tynes, was killed in an All-terrain Vehicle accident on Favre's Mississippi property.41 Soon after in 2004, Favre's wife, Deanna Favre , was diagnosed with Breast Cancer . Following aggressive treatment, she has made progress and is expected to make a complete recovery. She created The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation which supports breast cancer education and women's breast imaging and diagnosis services for all women, including those who are medically underserved.42 In late August 2005 , Favre's family suffered another setback. Hurricane Katrina blew through Mississippi, destroying his family's home there; however, none of his family members were injured.43 Brett and Deanna's home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi was also damaged by the storm. CAREER AWARDS Honors and awards
Records and milestones Favre currently possesses a number of NFL records:
From 2002 to 2004, Favre threw a touchdown pass in 36 consecutive games,61 the second longest streak ever behind Johnny Unitas ' 47.62 Favre continues to close in on several NFL career records. As of the end of the 2006 NFL season, Favre stands at:
In addition, Favre owns a number of team records, having printed his name into almost every passing category in the annals of Green Bay Packers History .67 Consecutive starts Considered the "Iron Man" of the NFL, Favre is one of two NFL players to have started every game his team has played over the past 15-year period (the other being punter Jeff Feagles ).68 Brett Favre is currently in first place for consecutive NFL games started by a quarterback. During the first 200 straight games started by Favre, 178 other quarterbacks started in the NFL, eleven of them being back-ups to Favre at one point.69 CAREER STATS Regular season He also has one reception for -7 yards; a tipped pass that Favre threw himself. It was the first completion of Favre's career. Playoff stats
NOTES AND REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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