jramsey495
09-29-2007, 08:21 PM
Good read... he compares himself to Holmgren in how he gets on the young guys...
Brett Favre providing adult supervision to young Packers cast
1 day ago
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Maybe what the Green Bay Packers needed was adult supervision. Their superstar quarterback is providing it.
Playing on the youngest team in the NFL, Favre certainly has had moments of frustration with his fresh-faced teammates. But Favre's insistence on holding young players to a high standard right away has helped the Packers to their surprising 3-0 start.
Favre, who might break Dan Marino's all-time record for touchdown passes on Sunday at Minnesota, isn't about to charm the youngsters. After all, he says, former Packers coach Mike Holmgren never coddled him.
"Mike Holmgren never patted me on the back and said, 'That's OK, buddy.' There was never any of that. He laid into me every time," Favre said. "And I can't tell you how many times I came off the field and said, 'I hate this guy.'
"But as I look back, he meant more to my career than anyone. He was hard on me, but I see him now and I thank him for all those things."
Favre, who needs one touchdown pass to break the record of 420 he shares with Marino, will start his 241st consecutive game. That will break a tie with former Vikings centre Mick Tingelhoff for the second-longest streak in NFL history.
He now is paying Holmgren's favour forward to the Packers' young players. Favre knows he's running out of time to make one last playoff run, and wants his teammates to understand that every play matters.
"I think a lot of our guys, and I think they work extremely hard," Favre said. "But there's not many second chances in this game, and one play can be the determining factor in whether you win or lose. And there's no one who knows better than me."
One of Favre's first targets this season is rookie wide receiver James Jones.
Jones, a third-round draft pick out of San Jose State, catches just about anything thrown his way. But like any rookie, he sometimes doesn't end up quite where the quarterback expects him to.
Favre got flustered with Jones twice during a pre-season game against Jacksonville, waving his arms and motioning at Jones in frustration. It was a humbling moment for a rookie still slightly dazzled by the bright lights of Lambeau Field, but Jones knew it wasn't personal.
"There's no hard feelings," Jones said. "I don't get mad at that or nothing - 'I hate you Brett,' or nothing like that. It's all right."
And Favre certainly got his attention.
"You learn from everything," said Jones, who ranks second to Donald Driver in catches and yards receiving through three games for the Packers. "Early on, I was cutting off routes and things like that. All it was was some miscommunication. As you can see, we're better now."
Favre makes no apologies for showing up Jones on the field, but said he would much rather handle such things during practice.
"What am I supposed to do? I don't want to go out there and come across as pointing fingers and things like that, but if a guy's got to keep coming, you keep coming," Favre said. "If a guy's got to keep going, you do those things. But I would much rather do them on the practice field, I would much rather do it in meetings, because come gametime, we have to play."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said Favre's frustration is only natural, but his continued enthusiasm on the field sets the right example for young players.
"I do think it is frustrating for him," said Aikman, now an analyst for Fox Sports. "But at the same time, in a lot of ways, he's the right guy to be bringing those guys along, because he is still excited about football."
Second-year guard Daryn Colledge said Favre doesn't often chew out young players, but does make it clear he expects them to match his competitiveness.
"If you're not giving it 100 per cent, he's going to remind you," Colledge said. "And when he needs you to make a play, he's going to let you know. You respect that, and it drives you to want to be better. I mean, I don't want to be the guy that gets Brett hurt. I don't even want to be the guy that gets Brett touched. So it pushes me every day to be a better offensive lineman."
There was a time when Favre was one of the guys, going hunting with teammates and pulling pranks in the locker-room.
Today, he's more like one of the grown-ups.
Even with Favre, who turns 38 next month, skewing the Packers' demographics, Green Bay's opening-day roster was the NFL's youngest. Average age: 26 years, 89 days.
Favre doesn't have much in common with players who were in grade school when he was traded to the Packers in 1992. He doesn't really socialize with teammates off the field and even dresses in his own private room away from the Packers' main locker-room.
"We don't have coffee chats in the morning," Favre joked.
But when it comes to team meetings and watching film, Jones said Favre is anything but aloof.
"We don't hang out or go out to restaurants and eat dinner or nothing like that," Jones said. "But when we're in the meeting room and it's business, we all talk amongst each other and things like that."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy often has the quarterbacks and receivers meet together after practice to spur conversation and build chemistry.
"I ask Brett questions on purpose just to make him talk," McCarthy said. "I know he knows the answer - make him talk, make him interact. It's more about the things that go wrong, because it's an opportunity for everyone to learn."
McCarthy considers Favre the ultimate role model, given his consecutive starts streak and the fact he and won his 149th game as a starting quarterback two weeks ago to break John Elway's career record.
"You're able to point to your quarterback: 'This player here has been available more than any other player in the history of the National Football League.' That helps, it's an excellent example there," McCarthy said. "Accountability? He's won more games than anybody in the history of football."
Now Favre is after Marino's mark, the Packers are trying to return to the playoffs - and none of the young players wants to be the one who messes it up.
"We're held up to a different standard," Colledge said. "Brett's one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and he's proved that week in and week out for the last 17 years. It's just a matter of, if we give him time, he's going to be successful. And you want to be the guy who's giving Brett time. You want to be a part of that success."
Brett Favre providing adult supervision to young Packers cast
1 day ago
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Maybe what the Green Bay Packers needed was adult supervision. Their superstar quarterback is providing it.
Playing on the youngest team in the NFL, Favre certainly has had moments of frustration with his fresh-faced teammates. But Favre's insistence on holding young players to a high standard right away has helped the Packers to their surprising 3-0 start.
Favre, who might break Dan Marino's all-time record for touchdown passes on Sunday at Minnesota, isn't about to charm the youngsters. After all, he says, former Packers coach Mike Holmgren never coddled him.
"Mike Holmgren never patted me on the back and said, 'That's OK, buddy.' There was never any of that. He laid into me every time," Favre said. "And I can't tell you how many times I came off the field and said, 'I hate this guy.'
"But as I look back, he meant more to my career than anyone. He was hard on me, but I see him now and I thank him for all those things."
Favre, who needs one touchdown pass to break the record of 420 he shares with Marino, will start his 241st consecutive game. That will break a tie with former Vikings centre Mick Tingelhoff for the second-longest streak in NFL history.
He now is paying Holmgren's favour forward to the Packers' young players. Favre knows he's running out of time to make one last playoff run, and wants his teammates to understand that every play matters.
"I think a lot of our guys, and I think they work extremely hard," Favre said. "But there's not many second chances in this game, and one play can be the determining factor in whether you win or lose. And there's no one who knows better than me."
One of Favre's first targets this season is rookie wide receiver James Jones.
Jones, a third-round draft pick out of San Jose State, catches just about anything thrown his way. But like any rookie, he sometimes doesn't end up quite where the quarterback expects him to.
Favre got flustered with Jones twice during a pre-season game against Jacksonville, waving his arms and motioning at Jones in frustration. It was a humbling moment for a rookie still slightly dazzled by the bright lights of Lambeau Field, but Jones knew it wasn't personal.
"There's no hard feelings," Jones said. "I don't get mad at that or nothing - 'I hate you Brett,' or nothing like that. It's all right."
And Favre certainly got his attention.
"You learn from everything," said Jones, who ranks second to Donald Driver in catches and yards receiving through three games for the Packers. "Early on, I was cutting off routes and things like that. All it was was some miscommunication. As you can see, we're better now."
Favre makes no apologies for showing up Jones on the field, but said he would much rather handle such things during practice.
"What am I supposed to do? I don't want to go out there and come across as pointing fingers and things like that, but if a guy's got to keep coming, you keep coming," Favre said. "If a guy's got to keep going, you do those things. But I would much rather do them on the practice field, I would much rather do it in meetings, because come gametime, we have to play."
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said Favre's frustration is only natural, but his continued enthusiasm on the field sets the right example for young players.
"I do think it is frustrating for him," said Aikman, now an analyst for Fox Sports. "But at the same time, in a lot of ways, he's the right guy to be bringing those guys along, because he is still excited about football."
Second-year guard Daryn Colledge said Favre doesn't often chew out young players, but does make it clear he expects them to match his competitiveness.
"If you're not giving it 100 per cent, he's going to remind you," Colledge said. "And when he needs you to make a play, he's going to let you know. You respect that, and it drives you to want to be better. I mean, I don't want to be the guy that gets Brett hurt. I don't even want to be the guy that gets Brett touched. So it pushes me every day to be a better offensive lineman."
There was a time when Favre was one of the guys, going hunting with teammates and pulling pranks in the locker-room.
Today, he's more like one of the grown-ups.
Even with Favre, who turns 38 next month, skewing the Packers' demographics, Green Bay's opening-day roster was the NFL's youngest. Average age: 26 years, 89 days.
Favre doesn't have much in common with players who were in grade school when he was traded to the Packers in 1992. He doesn't really socialize with teammates off the field and even dresses in his own private room away from the Packers' main locker-room.
"We don't have coffee chats in the morning," Favre joked.
But when it comes to team meetings and watching film, Jones said Favre is anything but aloof.
"We don't hang out or go out to restaurants and eat dinner or nothing like that," Jones said. "But when we're in the meeting room and it's business, we all talk amongst each other and things like that."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy often has the quarterbacks and receivers meet together after practice to spur conversation and build chemistry.
"I ask Brett questions on purpose just to make him talk," McCarthy said. "I know he knows the answer - make him talk, make him interact. It's more about the things that go wrong, because it's an opportunity for everyone to learn."
McCarthy considers Favre the ultimate role model, given his consecutive starts streak and the fact he and won his 149th game as a starting quarterback two weeks ago to break John Elway's career record.
"You're able to point to your quarterback: 'This player here has been available more than any other player in the history of the National Football League.' That helps, it's an excellent example there," McCarthy said. "Accountability? He's won more games than anybody in the history of football."
Now Favre is after Marino's mark, the Packers are trying to return to the playoffs - and none of the young players wants to be the one who messes it up.
"We're held up to a different standard," Colledge said. "Brett's one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and he's proved that week in and week out for the last 17 years. It's just a matter of, if we give him time, he's going to be successful. And you want to be the guy who's giving Brett time. You want to be a part of that success."