Brett Favre: Iron Man Streak, Part 1

Brett Favre: Iron Man Streak, Part 1

Brett Favre: Iron Man Part 1

From Southern Miss to Atlanta

While playing college football at the University of Southern Mississippi, quarterback Brett Favre always had a flair for the dramatic, whether his plays resulted in dazzling touchdowns or costly interceptions. However, no football fan knew just how good Favre was going to be when he entered the National Football League. In the 1991 NFL Draft, Favre was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 33rd overall pick in the 2nd round, and his last name was pronounced incorrectly when he was picked. Unfortunately for Favre, things just didn’t work out for him in Atlanta, and he played in only 2 games for the Falcons in the 1991 regular season.

A Fresh Start in Green Bay

Things turned for the better for Favre on February 10, 1992, when the Falcons traded him to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for the 19th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. That pick ended up being running back Tony Smith, who coincidentally also played college football at Southern Miss. Unlike in Atlanta, Favre got his chance to play in Green Bay in 1992, starting 13 games for the Packers and going 8-5. Favre completed 302 of 471 pass attempts for 3,227 yards and 18 touchdowns, recording a 64.1 completion percentage and throwing just 13 interceptions.

Little did anyone know at the time, but when Favre made his first start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 27, it would be the beginning of a legendary streak of consecutive starts that would extend far past what any football fan expected.

The Road to a Championship

Building Momentum in 1993 and 1994

In 1993, Favre started all 16 regular-season games, going 9-7 and completing 318 of 522 pass attempts for 3,303 yards and 19 touchdowns, recording a 60.9 completion percentage and 24 interceptions. In 1994, Favre went 9-7 in 16 regular-season starts, completing 363 of 582 pass attempts for 3,882 yards and 33 touchdowns, recording a 62.4 completion percentage and 14 interceptions.

The Gunslinger’s MVP Breakthrough

1995 marked the start of great things in the career of the man many would call “The Gunslinger,” as he went 11-5 in 16 starts, completing 359 of 570 pass attempts for 4,413 yards and 38 touchdowns, recording a 63.0 completion percentage and throwing just 13 interceptions. By this time, Favre had developed a great feel for playing quarterback in the NFL, and he began pulling out wins from the jaws of defeat on multiple occasions. The Associated Press took notice of Favre’s skills and gave him the AP Most Valuable Player award.

Super Bowl Glory in 1996

1996 proved to be the best and most important year of Favre’s career, as he finally accomplished what he had been aiming for since he first entered the NFL. Going 13-3 in 16 starts, Favre completed 325 of 543 pass attempts for 3,899 yards and 39 touchdowns, recording a 59.9 completion percentage and throwing just 13 interceptions. Favre was once again named the AP Most Valuable Player.

Favre had an amazing run in the playoffs, going 3-0 and completing 44 of 71 pass attempts for 617 yards and 5 touchdowns, recording a 62.0 completion percentage and throwing just 1 interception. Favre led the Packers to a convincing 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, which was just a short drive from his home in southern Mississippi. However, Favre did not win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award, despite throwing 3 touchdown passes in the big game.

Chasing a Repeat and the End of the Holmgren Era

Falling Short in Super Bowl XXXII

The following year, 1997, was just as solid for Favre, as he went 13-3 in 16 starts, completing 304 of 513 pass attempts for 3,867 yards and 35 touchdowns, recording a 59.3 completion percentage and throwing just 16 interceptions. Favre’s statistics were good enough to win the AP Most Valuable Player award for the third year in a row. In the playoffs, Favre and the Packers fared well as he went 2-1, completing 56 of 97 pass attempts for 668 yards and 5 touchdowns, recording a 57.7 completion percentage and throwing only 3 interceptions. Green Bay’s bid to become back-to-back Super Bowl champions was emphatically halted by the emotional run of the Denver Broncos, who were led by quarterback John Elway to a 31-24 win over the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Holmgren’s Final Season

1998 was still a good year for Favre, as he led the Packers to an 11-5 record, completing 347 of 551 pass attempts for 4,212 yards and 31 touchdowns, recording a 63.0 completion percentage and throwing 23 interceptions. Following a dramatic 30-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card Game of the 1998 playoffs, longtime Packers head coach Mike Holmgren moved on from the franchise. Holmgren’s departure ended a productive 7-year run with Favre that included multiple postseason appearances.

A New Era of Coaching Changes

The new head coach for the Packers in 1999 was Ray Rhodes, and though the Packers took a step back by going 8-8 with Favre as the starting quarterback, the team still found success. Favre completed 341 of 595 pass attempts for 4,091 yards and 22 touchdowns, recording a 57.3 completion percentage and throwing 23 interceptions.

The Packers quickly made another change at head coach in 2000, bringing in Mike Sherman, who would stick around for more than 1 year. Going 9-7 in 16 starts for Green Bay, The Gunslinger posted slightly better statistics. Favre completed 338 of 580 pass attempts for 3,812 yards and 20 touchdowns, recording a 58.3 completion percentage and throwing just 16 interceptions. However, the Packers did not make a postseason appearance in 2000.

The Iron Man Streak Rolls On

Having been in the NFL for 10 years at this point, Favre was far from calling it a career, though there would be much speculation about his retirement throughout the 2000s. Through 2000, Brett Favre was still the “Iron Man,” as his consecutive starts streak remained intact.

Brett Favre Part 2