PDA

View Full Version : New Book about Brett Favre



vince
10-16-2006, 06:17 PM
A new book about Brett Favre has hit the bookstores. It's called "Brett Favre: A Packer Fan's Tribute." It's written by Tom Kertscher, MJS news reporter.

Here's an excerpt.


Brett Favre came to the Green Bay Packers without fanfare -- but not without a reputation.
His rookie season in Atlanta had been a washout.

“All he did was drink beer and eat chicken wings for a year,” said Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville. “He looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy.”

And yet, in the eyes of Ron Wolf, Brett Favre was the man to return the Packers to glory.

Favre attracted attention, even pie-in-the-sky Heisman Trophy talk, with his gutty play and upset victories at Southern Mississippi University. After his senior season failed to meet expectations, Favre dropped a few notches with some NFL scouts -- but not with Wolf, who was director of player personnel for the New York Jets.

“All I could think of is that, about once a generation, a quarterback comes along who has this particular quality, and that’s the ability to make it seem as though the whole field is tilting one way whenever he’s out there,” Wolf said.

That epiphany, next to the hiring of Vince Lombardi, would become the most important inspiration among Packer executives in the history of the franchise.

On Feb. 10, 1992, less than three months into his new job, Wolf seized his opportunity.

He traded a coveted first-round draft choice for the NFL version of the Pillsbury Doughboy.

No one was impressed.

“I said, 'OK. Whatever,' Favre recalled of being informed of the trade. “And I finished my crawfish and my beer."

But Favre turned the trade into one of the greatest in the history of sports. Even years later, however, he couldn’t blame the early doubters.

“It looked like a good deal for Atlanta,” he said. “Who would have known it would work out the way it did?

Like Favre, the Packers had performed miserably in 1991. They finished 4-12, failing to make the playoffs for the eighth straight year.

Initially, newly hired head coach Mike Holmgren kept Don “Majik” Majkowski, the blonde-locked, silver Mercedes-driving quarterback, as his starter. But he installed Favre as second string, believing he would get a chance to show his stuff at some point during the ’92 season.

The wait wasn’t long. In Game 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Favre and an even less-heralded player -- wide receiver Kitrick Taylor – hooked up to create one of the greatest moments in Lambeau Field history.

''Everyone, from that point on, felt like I could play,” Favre said.

Early in the game, 275-pound defensive tackle Tim Krumrie, a former Wisconsin Badger, sacked Majkowski and landed on his left ankle, straining the ligaments. An overheated Favre went in.

“I felt like I had just taken a laxative. I was shaking all over,” Favre recalled. “Thank goodness I managed to hold it in until the whole thing was over with."

In the fourth quarter, as he would do so many times in his career, Favre took control.

With less than 9 minutes left and the Bengals leading 20-10, Favre drove the team 88 yards in eight plays. He completed five of six passes, including a five-yard touchdown to star receiver Sterling Sharpe, making the score 20-17.

The Bengals added a field goal, extending their lead to 23-17.

The Packers got one more chance -- from their 8-yard-line, with 67 seconds and no time-outs remaining.

Favre didn’t blink. He completed a short pass, then drove the Packers across mid-field by hitting Sharpe for 42 yards. Sharpe re-injured his bruised ribs on the play, however, and had to be replaced by Taylor, a newly signed free agent. Taylor remembered what Favre had said huddle: "We're going to score. We're going to get in the end zone.'"

From the Bengals’ 35, Taylor ran the same “go” route that Sharpe had just run. This time, Favre pump-faked before firing a laser down the right sideline that didn’t rise more than 12 feet off the ground. Taylor snatched it and dashed into the north end zone, tying the game at 23 with 13 seconds left.

With Favre holding for the first time, Chris Jacke added the extra point and the euphoric Packers claimed a 24-23 win.

This is what Packer fans had been yearning for: a fearless, blue-collar quarterback with a big heart who could win respect, and games, by going all-out on every play.

“As I was walking off the field,” Favre said of the Bengals game, “I knew I’d have to be dead before I’d ever come out of the lineup again.”

The legend had begun.

The book is available in bookstores, at Amazon.com and directly from the author, Tom Kertscher. You can buy an autographed copy by e-mailing the author at tkerch@yahoo.com for details.

BallHawk
10-16-2006, 06:33 PM
This is going to sound stupid, but hear me out.

It is a good book, but don't buy it.

I was at Borders 3 days ago, after a very satisfying meal of Chicken Fingers, French Fries, and a Fudge Sunday. :D My Mom was looking at some massage books so I was exploring the sports section. I came across this book, and I had the time so I sat down with it. Here's some points the book touched on:

How Favre made it to Green Bay
How he did in his first season
His relationship with Holmgren and Wolf
His Super Bowl and MVP Years
His top 10 games against the Bears
His games in freezing weather

Then it has some interesting quotes and some very good pictures of Favre on the field and of the field.

But I say, "Don't buy it," because you can read the whole book in about 45 minutes to an hour. As long as you have a comfortable leather chair and a refreshing drink, reading it in the bookstore is no problem.

It is a good book, but "Favre" which is written, in part, by Favre, is much better.

hoosier
10-16-2006, 07:24 PM
“All he did was drink beer and eat chicken wings for a year,” said Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville. “He looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy.”

Early in the game, 275-pound defensive tackle Tim Krumrie, a former Wisconsin Badger, sacked Majkowski and landed on his left ankle, straining the ligaments. An overheated Favre went in.


Tim Krumrie only weighed 275 pounds?? Can that be right? How much did he outweigh Favre by? Krumrie'd have to be a fullback or linebacker today. Too funny.

prsnfoto
10-17-2006, 09:28 AM
“All he did was drink beer and eat chicken wings for a year,” said Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville. “He looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy.”

Early in the game, 275-pound defensive tackle Tim Krumrie, a former Wisconsin Badger, sacked Majkowski and landed on his left ankle, straining the ligaments. An overheated Favre went in.


Tim Krumrie only weighed 275 pounds?? Can that be right? How much did he outweigh Favre by? Krumrie'd have to be a fullback or linebacker today. Too funny.

He was a RB at my alma mater Mondovi High he lived two farms away from me and was a great kid, alot of people don't know this but he was a hell of a back averaged almost 200 yds a game and could remember many games when he carried three guys into the endzone with him.

ahaha
10-17-2006, 01:20 PM
“All he did was drink beer and eat chicken wings for a year,” said Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville. “He looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy.”

Early in the game, 275-pound defensive tackle Tim Krumrie, a former Wisconsin Badger, sacked Majkowski and landed on his left ankle, straining the ligaments. An overheated Favre went in.


Tim Krumrie only weighed 275 pounds?? Can that be right? How much did he outweigh Favre by? Krumrie'd have to be a fullback or linebacker today. Too funny.

He was a RB at my alma mater Mondovi High he lived two farms away from me and was a great kid, alot of people don't know this but he was a hell of a back averaged almost 200 yds a game and could remember many games when he carried three guys into the endzone with him.

He also played, at Mondovi, with former Badger quarterback Jess Cole. I was a young sprout at Durand during this time. Of course we hated Mondovi, but my aunt was a classmate of the two so I rooted hard for them when they played for the Badgers.

Bossman641
10-17-2006, 02:06 PM
Can you imagine the uproar if that type of trade was made today? I know Favre had done well his junior year before the problems he had his senior year, but trading a 1st round pick for a QB who had gone 0-5 with 2 picks and didn't seem to have the greatest work ethic in his rookie year. That is insane.

I'm not old enough to remember the trade happening and of course there weren't message boards like this in 1992, but what was the general feeling about this trade? At the time, it looks like ATL was getting away with highway robbery.

Patler
10-17-2006, 02:40 PM
I'm not old enough to remember the trade happening and of course there weren't message boards like this in 1992, but what was the general feeling about this trade? At the time, it looks like ATL was getting away with highway robbery.

I think most Packer fans were a bit numb to trades, or player acquisitions in general, at the time, and didn't hold 1st round picks very dear..

Older fans lived through trading the immediate future (a basket full of draft picks) for an aging broken down QB (John Hadl). Giving up a promising young linebacker (Tom MacLeod) to rent another linebacker for one year (Ted Hendricks). The first round pick meant little of nothing. We lived through drafting a player at #4 in the first round (Bruce Clark) who went to Canada rather than play in Green Bay. We saw other first round picks thrown away on a QB who couldn't throw (Rich Campbell), a runningback who couldn't run (Brent Fullwood), and one who could run, but not very fast (Darrell Thompson). Then a sure fire Pro Bowl player for years to come taken with the 2nd overall pick withered away from a 300+ pound Herculean beast of a player in college to a 280 pounder of questionable strength and desire in the NFL (Mandarich). We saw budding careers of talented first round picks changed, or cut short by injuries (Buchanon, Lewis).

Giving up a first round pick for a fat, drunken QB of questionable discipline and ethic seemed about par for the course of the Packers at the time! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Sparkey
10-17-2006, 02:42 PM
Can you imagine the uproar if that type of trade was made today? I know Favre had done well his junior year before the problems he had his senior year, but trading a 1st round pick for a QB who had gone 0-5 with 2 picks and didn't seem to have the greatest work ethic in his rookie year. That is insane.

I'm not old enough to remember the trade happening and of course there weren't message boards like this in 1992, but what was the general feeling about this trade? At the time, it looks like ATL was getting away with highway robbery.

Most of the people I knew didn't know much about him, but generally trusted that Wolf knew what he was doing. I recall alot of talk about Favre and his partying style and references to Max McGee and Paul Hornung having been known to party up before games.

Patler
10-17-2006, 02:50 PM
I have to admit, once camp started therre was a bit of a buzz about Favre. The strength of his arm, and his unwillingness to cut back on the velocity even for a 10 yard pass were mentioned immediatel! :lol:

HarveyWallbangers
10-17-2006, 02:58 PM
I remember a lot of questions about the trade. Most thought it was a typical bone-headed move made by the Packers organization. Of course, historically, Packer fans have been an optimistic bunch ("wait 'til next year" is a Packer fans favorite motto), so there wasn't a huge uproar.

Patler
10-17-2006, 03:18 PM
I remember a lot of questions about the trade. Most thought it was a typical bone-headed move made by the Packers organization. Of course, historically, Packer fans have been an optimistic bunch ("wait 'til next year" is a Packer fans favorite motto), so there wasn't a huge uproar.

That's about the way I remember it too. Kind of a "here we go again" feeling, but the guarded optimism Packer fans had at the start of every season in the '70s and '80s, regardless of what happened the year before.

What seemed starnge to me at the time was that I thought Majkowski was the QB of the future for GB, even with some of the injuries he already had. Trading a 1st for a mediocre team's third string QB raised my eyebrows a bit.

SlimPickens
10-17-2006, 05:44 PM
Well maybe nobody gave a damn about #1 picks where you came from but it must not have been around the "knowledgeable Packer fan" area!

Patler
10-17-2006, 05:52 PM
Well maybe nobody gave a damn about #1 picks where you came from but it must not have been around the "knowledgeable Packer fan" area!

It wasn't that we didn't give a damn, just that we had become pretty accustomed to squandering the majority of them. It seemed to just be following the same old pattern.