124 Facts About Brett Favre

Brett Lorenzo Favre is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers.

Brett Favre was the first NFL quarterback to obtain 70,000 yards, 10,000 passes, 6,000 completions, 500 touchdowns, and victories over all 32 teams.

Brett Favre played college football at the University of Southern Mississippi and was selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent one season as a backup.

Brett Favre was traded in 2008 to the New York Jets, where he played one year, and spent his final two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

At the time of his retirement, Brett Favre was the NFL leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback wins, and holds the record for interceptions.

Brett Favre received 11 Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro selections.

Brett Favre was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

In 2022, Brett Favre began to face controversy for the Mississippi welfare funds scandal after investigations determined $8 million intended for welfare programs went to Brett Favre or causes he championed.

Brett Favre has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against the State Auditor of Mississippi and two media personalities over their coverage of him.

Brett Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, the son of Bonita Ann and Irvin Ernest Favre, and raised in the small town of Kiln.

One of his ancestors is Simon Favre, a Creole and an influential figure in Spanish West Florida in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; Brett descends from Simon's Choctaw Native American mistress, Pistikiokonay, and thus his grandfather was affiliated with the Choctaw.

Brett Favre was the second of four children and attended Hancock North Central High School, where he played baseball and football.

Brett Favre started for the Hancock North Central baseball team as an eighth-grader and earned five varsity letters.

Brett Favre played quarterback, lineman, strong safety, placekicker, and punter in a primarily option, run-oriented offense coached by his father, Irvin Favre, who was the head coach of the Hawks football team.

Irvin Brett Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but knew that the school was blessed with good running backs.

Brett Favre rarely threw more than five passes in a game.

Southern Miss wanted him to play defensive back, but Brett Favre wanted to play quarterback instead.

Brett 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.

Brett 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.

Brett Favre started ten games during his freshman year and won six of them.

Brett Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game-winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.

When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Brett Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree.

Brett Favre formerly held several Southern Miss football records until most were surpassed by Austin Davis by the end of the 2011 season.

Brett Favre earned a teaching degree with an emphasis in special education from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Brett Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round with the 33rd overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft.

Atlanta head coach Jerry Glanville did not approve of the drafting of Brett Favre, saying it would take a plane crash for him to put Brett Favre into the game.

Brett Favre's first pass in an NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown in a Week 11 game against the Washington Redskins.

Brett Favre only attempted four passes in his one season at Atlanta, was intercepted twice, and completed none of them.

Brett Favre took one other snap, which resulted in a sack for an eleven-yard loss.

Brett Favre started every Packers game from September 20,1992, to January 20,2008, a streak of 253 games.

On his first regular season play as a Packer, Brett Favre threw a pass that was deflected by Buccaneers player Ray Seals and caught by Brett Favre.

Brett Favre fumbled four times during the course of the game, a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for Brett Favre to be removed in favor of another Packers backup quarterback at the time, Ty Detmer.

Brett Favre then completed a 42-yard pass to wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.

Brett Favre would keep the starting job for the rest of his tenure in Green Bay.

Brett Favre led the NFC in pass attempts, pass completions, and pass interceptions.

Brett Favre had four game winning drives giving him seven for his career up to that point.

In 1995, Brett Favre won the first of his three AP MVP awards.

Brett Favre helped the Packers advance farther in the playoffs than any other Packer team since 1967, which was the season the Packers last won the championship in Super Bowl II.

Brett Favre led the Packers to their best season in 30 years in the 1996 season, winning his second consecutive MVP award in the process.

Brett Favre threw for 3,899 yards, a career-high 39 touchdown passes, only 13 interceptions, and passer rating of 95.8.

Brett Favre was named AP co-MVP of the league along with Detroit Lions' running back Barry Sanders, his third straight award.

Brett Favre finished the season with 3,867 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes, 16 interceptions, and a passer rating of 92.6.

Brett Favre led the Packers to an NFL record 29 consecutive home wins until they were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football on October 5,1998.

One day after his father died of a heart attack or stroke, Brett Favre decided to play in a December 22,2003, Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders.

Brett Favre won an ESPY Award for his Monday Night Football performance.

Brett Favre did not receive medical clearance to re-enter the game.

Brett Favre had two significant touchdown streaks of note during the season.

Brett Favre 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.

In late August 2005, Brett 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.

Brett Favre elected to continue to play in the 2005 season.

However, on April 26,2006, Brett Favre announced that he would remain with the team for the 2006 season.

Brett Favre 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.

Brett Favre became the first player ever to complete 5,000 passes in his career.

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.

Brett Favre began the 2007 season trailing in a number of career NFL passing records.

Brett Favre joined Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to do this, just the week after the two of them achieved the accomplishment.

Brett Favre won the Galloping Gobbler award, given by the broadcasters at Fox to the game's MVP.

Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes for his 63rd career game with at least three touchdowns, surpassing Marino's former record of 62.

Brett Favre stated after the game that he would make a decision more quickly than he has in the past regarding whether he would return for another season.

Brett Favre had one chance, and one chance only, to salvage his career in Green Bay.

Brett Favre added the chances for a Super Bowl win were small, and that he was not up for the challenge.

Brett Favre stated that his decision, regardless of what was being said in the media, had nothing to do with what the Packers did or didn't do.

On July 2,2008, it was reported that Brett Favre was in contact with the Packers about a possible return to the team.

On July 11,2008, Brett Favre sent a letter to the Packers asking for his unconditional release to allow him to play for another NFL team.

Brett Favre spoke publicly for the first time about his potential comeback in a July 14,2008, interview with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel's On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.

Brett Favre disputed the notion that he does not want to play for Green Bay and said that while he understands the organization has decided to move on, they should now allow him to do the same.

Brett Favre made clear that he would not return to the Packers as a backup and reiterated his desire to be released rather than traded, which would allow him the freedom to play for a competitive team.

Brett Favre accused the Packers of being dishonest, wishing the team would have been straightforward with him and the public.

Brett Favre formally filed for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29,2008, and his petition was granted by Commissioner Goodell, effective August 4,2008.

Brett Favre then flew to Green Bay to report to Packers training camp.

McCarthy sensed Brett Favre was not in "the right mind-set" to resume playing for the Packers, while Brett Favre felt that his relationship with Packer management had deteriorated to the point that a return to the team would be untenable.

In those five games, Brett Favre threw eight interceptions and only two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 22 of each.

Brett Favre had complained of shoulder pain and had an MRI performed on December 29,2008, which revealed a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder.

On February 11,2009, Brett Favre informed the Jets that he was retiring after 18 seasons.

Brett Favre remained part of the Jets organization until April 28,2009, when the Jets released Favre from his contract, thus allowing him to sign anywhere he wanted.

In September 2009, it was revealed that the NFL learned that the Jets were aware that Brett Favre injured his arm in the 11th game of the 2008 season, and fined the Jets $125,000 for not reporting the injury in any of the Jets' five final games.

Brett Favre made his Vikings debut in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

In Week 4, Brett Favre had his first game against his former team.

Brett Favre finished the 2009 season with 4,202 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Brett Favre threw for his 500th touchdown and 70,000th yard against the New York Jets.

On November 7,2010, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Brett Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards while rallying the Vikings from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to win in overtime.

On December 5,2010, in a game against the Buffalo Bills, Brett Favre was hit by Bills linebacker Arthur Moats while making a throw, causing him to sustain a sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder.

Brett Favre missed the rest of the game and was replaced by Tarvaris Jackson, who helped lead the Vikings to victory despite throwing three interceptions.

On December 13,2010, due to his sprained shoulder, Brett Favre was marked inactive for the game against the New York Giants ending his consecutive regular-season start streak at 297.

Brett Favre started a total of 321 games including post-season appearances.

On December 20,2010, while playing the Chicago Bears outside at TCF Bank Stadium due to the collapse of the roof of the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome, Favre sustained a concussion after being sacked by Bears defensive end Corey Wootton.

On January 2,2011, Brett Favre was unable to play against the Detroit Lions in the final game of the regular NFL season due to his inability to pass NFL-mandated post-concussion tests.

On January 17,2011, Brett Favre officially filed his retirement papers with the NFL.

In 2013, Brett Favre was asked to consider returning to the NFL to play for the injury-plagued St Louis Rams.

Brett Favre turned down the offer, telling WSPZ radio in Washington, DC that he has had memory loss and that he feared it was related to the multiple concussions he suffered throughout his career.

Brett Favre was previously asked in a 2009 interview with NBC how many times he had played with a concussion that with the new standards would have resulted in him sitting out.

In 2021, Brett Favre was featured in a public service announcement urging parents not to allow their children to play tackle football under age 14.

Brett Favre was the analyst for his alma mater, Southern Miss, when they played the Rice Owls on October 1,2011.

Brett Favre later joined the NFL Network for pregame coverage of Super Bowl XLVII.

Brett Favre owns several NFL records including, but not limited to:.

Brett Favre owns a number of team records with the Packers, Vikings, and Jets, including having printed his name into almost every passing category in the annals of Green Bay Packers history.

Brett Favre is the holder of several firsts in NFL history, including the only quarterback to win three consecutive NFL most valuable player awards, first quarterback to defeat all of the league's 32 franchises, and the first quarterback to win a playoff game over age 40.

Brett Favre had gained the reputation for success in cold weather when the Packers won with Favre as the starter in his first 35 games at home when the game-time temperature was 34 degrees fahrenheit or less.

Brett Favre holds the record for the most consecutive starts by any player in the NFL with 297, which is one of four quarterback streaks of at least 200 consecutive games in NFL history.

Brett Favre has stated that of all the records he set, he is most proud of the consecutive starts accomplishment.

Brett Favre failed to finish a game due to injury on only eight occasions since taking control of the Packers as quarterback.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has as an exhibit displaying the jersey Brett Favre wore during his record-breaking 117th consecutive start as a quarterback, and a section of their website devoted to what the Hall of Fame calls an "Iron man".

In 2009, Brett Favre surpassed defensive end Jim Marshall for starts at any position with his record-breaking 271st start as a quarterback as the Vikings played the Lions.

Brett Favre's streak ended at 297, with the last start in the streak coming on December 5,2010, against the Buffalo Bills.

Brett Favre has speculated on retiring, or returning to the NFL many times during his career and following the end of his career in 2011:.

In 2012, Brett Favre became the offensive coordinator for Oak Grove High School.

In December 2013, with Brett Favre still serving as the offensive coordinator, Oak Grove High School won the Class 6A Mississippi high school state championship.

In May 2014, it was announced that Brett Favre would continue to help out at Oak Grove, but would no longer be offensive coordinator.

Brett Favre was awarded the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award from the Make a Wish Foundation.

Brett Favre is known to respond to requests made to his foundation regarding youth with serious illnesses such as cancer.

In 2013, Brett Favre joined the Board of Directors of Sqor, a sport social media platform.

Brett Favre's role includes product ambassador, sports insights, and advising Sqor on business interests with teams, leagues and sports conferences.

Brett Favre made a cameo appearance in the 1998 romantic comedy film There's Something About Mary as Cameron Diaz's character's former love interest.

Brett Favre currently appears in TV ads for Copper Fit.

Brett Favre has stated he does not identify with a specific political party.

Brett Favre is a Roman Catholic and credits his faith for facing adversity throughout his life.

In 1996, Brett Favre was temporarily banned by the NFL from drinking alcohol, after he admitted he was addicted to Vicodin, and spent 46 days at a drug rehab clinic before the start of the season.

Brett Favre's condition was serious enough that he had a potentially deadly seizure.

Brett Favre was found not to be in violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy, but was fined $50,000 for failing to cooperate with the investigation.

Brett Favre had introduced MCEC's founders to top state welfare officials.

The Mississippi auditor later announced that Brett Favre intended to repay that money.

The Mississippi State Auditor said Brett Favre still owed $228,000 in interest and referred the matter to the state attorney general's office.

Brett Favre was questioned by the FBI over the misappropriated funds.

Brett Favre's lawyer has stated that Favre did not know the money was misappropriated from funds used to assist poor families and has not been charged with a crime in these matter.