Brett Lorenzo Favre is born in Gulfport, Miss. He is the second child (brothers
Scott and Jeff and sister Brandi) of Irvin and Bonita Favre. Brett grows up in
Kiln, Miss. (population: 7,500).
1976
At just seven years old, Favre meets Deanna Tynes in catechism. It is just the
beginning of a very long relationship.
1979
As a fifth grader, Brett begins playing the position he would dominate years
later --
quarterback.
1982
Brett and Deanna "officially" begin dating. The couple becomes
inseparable.
1983-1987
At Hancock North Central High School in Kiln, Favre thrives at baseball as well
as football, leading his team in batting in all five of his seasons. On the
gridiron he plays strong safety, punter and placekicker in addition to
quarterback.
1987
Favre accepts a scholarship from the only Division I-A school that offers him
one -- Southern Miss, where Brett's father had been a pitcher and his brother
Scott a quarterback. One twist: The offer is for Brett to play defensive back.
As a freshman he begins the season seventh on the quarterback depth
chart.
September 19, 1987
After working his way up the to second string, the magic begins for Favre. He
enters the second half of the Golden Eagles' game against Tulane and guides
Southern Miss to a 31-24 come-from-behind win. He completes 6 of 10 passes for
85 yards and two touchdowns. The following week, in just his third game as a
true freshman, Favre becomes his team's permanent starting QB.
December 23, 1988
Favre (15 of 26 passing for 157 yards and one touchdown) leads the Golden Eagles
to a 38-18 victory against UTEP in the Independence
Bowl.
February 6, 1989
Brett becomes a father when Deanna gives birth to daughter Brittany. The couple
remains unmarried, though. Brett would later tell Playboy in November
1997: "I was 18 and Deanna was 19 when she got pregnant. People say, 'You
damn ass, making her look bad. Why didn't you marry her?' But we weren't ready
for that. We never would have made it. Five years later we'd be like 90 percent
of the people who get married for that reason -- divorced and hating each
other."
September 2,
1989
Favre leads the Golden Eagles to a monumental win as they upset the sixth-ranked
Florida State Seminoles, 30-26. With FSU leading 26-24 midway through the final
quarter, Southern Miss puts together a six and a half minute drive capped off
by Favre's winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining. "He could make
big plays and keep drives going," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said after
the game. "Favre was good enough that he took advantage of mistakes we
made."
July 14, 1990
Prior to his senior season, Favre is in a serious car accident less than one
mile from his house in Kiln. He ends up in the hospital with a concussion,
lacerations and cracked vertebrae.
August 7, 1990
Favre is still feeling the effects of the accident and suffers complications,
requiring 30 inches of his intestines to be removed.
September 8,
1990
Five weeks after the accident Favre remarkably returns to the starting lineup to
lead the Golden Eagles in an upset against Alabama. "You can call it a miracle
or a legend or whatever you want to," Crimson Tide coach Gene Stallings says
afterward. "I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than
life."
December 28, 1990
Southern Miss loses a tough one to N.C. State, 31-27, in the All-American Bowl, but Favre shines in his final college game, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns. He finishes his Southern Miss career as the school leader in passing yards
(8,193), pass attempts (1,234), completions (656), passing percentage (53.0) and
touchdowns
(55).
April 20,
1991
The Atlanta Falcons select Favre in the second round (33rd overall) of the NFL
Draft.
February 10,
1992
After an uneventful two-game stint in Atlanta, during which Favre threw two
interceptions with no completions in five attempts, he is traded to Green Bay
for a No. 1 pick in what turns out to be one of the most lopsided deals in NFL
history.
September 20,
1992
Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals is a sign of things to come. Favre
replaces injured starter Don Majikowsi in the fourth quarter and orchestrates a
five-play, 92-yard drive that culminates in a 35-yard TD pass with 13 seconds
left to give the Packers a 24-23 victory. Favre takes over the starting job and
begins a special journey with head coach Mike Holmgren. "What you see in
Brett is a strong guy who wants to win. He drives you crazy sometimes, but he's
a talent," Holmgren says following the
win.
February 7, 1993
At 23 years old, Favre becomes the youngest quarterback ever to earn a trip to
the Pro Bowl in
Hawaii.
January 8,
1994
Favre leads the Packers to a thrilling 28-24 win against the Detroit Lions to
give Green Bay its first playoff victory since 1982. Favre connects with
Sterling Sharpe on a 40-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds remaining to seal
the win. "After Sterling caught the ball, I was looking for someone to
kiss," Favre said. "I didn't want to run all the way to the end zone
to kiss Sterling, though. That was too far."
July 15, 1994
Favre and Packers agree on a five-year, $19 million contract extension. "I'm
very excited to know I'm going to be here for five more years," says Favre. "I
really feel like this is the team to beat in the next few years."
December
1994
Favre ends a solid run in the final three games of the season -- all wins --
completing 72 of 111 passes for 862 yards and eight touchdowns. He also sets a
Packers record with 33 touchdown passes and 363 completions for the year. The
hot play results in Green Bay making the playoffs.
February 5, 1995
It's another trip to Hawaii for Favre who is voted the NFC's starting
quarterback for the first time in his
career.
January 1,
1996
After setting an NFC single-season record with 38 touchdown passes and leading
the NFL with 4,413 passing yards, Favre wins the MVP award. "It means
everything," he says. "It's like winning the Super Bowl, except it's
an individual honor. It's the National Football League, which means it's the
best player in the whole world. In this game. And that's awesome."
January 6,
1996
Favre throws two touchdown passes and leads the Packers to a 27-17 defeat of the
49ers. The win puts Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game for the first time in
28
years.
January 14,
1996
Despite their recent success, Favre and the Packers still can't get back to the Super Bowl. Green Bay loses to Dallas in the NFC Championship. It is the third year
in a row the Cowboys eliminate the
Packers in the postseason.
February 27,
1996
Quarterbacks take quite a pounding on the field and in the course of treating various injuries, Favre develops an addiction to painkillers While recovering from ankle surgery in a Green Bay hospital, he
suffers a seizure. "I quit cold turkey," Favre told Peter King in the May 27,
1996 issue of Sports Illustrated, "and I entered the NFL substance-abuse
program voluntarily. I don't want a pill now, but I want to go into a rehab
center because I want to make sure I'm totally clean. The counselors I've seen
think it's best for me. The one thing they've taught me is that there will
always be a spot in your brain that wants
it."
May 14,
1996
Favre goes public with his addiction, giving a press conference about his
situation. At 5 a.m. the next day, he enters the Menninger Clinic, a
rehabilitation center in Topeka, Kan. where he stays for 46 days. "I'm 26
years old, I just threw 38 touchdown passes in one year, and I'm the NFL
MVP," he says. "People look at me and say, 'I'd love to be that guy.'
But if they knew what it took to be that guy, they wouldn't love to be him, I
can guarantee you that. I'm entering a treatment center tomorrow. Would they
love that?"
July 14,
1996
After 14 years together, Brett and Deanna finally tie the knot. "We agreed
to love our daughter and take care of her without getting married," Favre
had told Playboy in November 1997. "When I was at Southern Miss I
went out partying with the guys, then drove all night to see Deanna and
Brittany. Here I was, 20 years old, changing diapers in the middle of the night
and playing football the next day. When I got to the Falcons I would drive down
the old back roads after midnight to see Deanna and Brittany, then drive back
and play on Sunday. Sometimes Deanna and I couldn't stand each other. We dated
other people. We didn't get married till last year, after Brittany kept asking
us to do
it."
December 30,
1996
In throwing for 39 touchdown passes, Favre sets an NFC record for
most touchdown passes in a season for the second straight year. It ranks as the
third-highest single-season total in NFL history. The stellar play results in
Favre winning his second straight MVP award.
January
1997
Favre causes a stir during Super Bowl week when he claims the NFL lifted his ban
on drinking (which was put into effect when he entered rehab). The league
refutes Favre's
story.
January 26,
1997
At the Superdome in New Orleans, Favre throws for 246 yards, including two
touchdowns and no interceptions, and also runs for another score to lead the
Packers to a 35-21 over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. "We're
champions today because we overcame a lot of adversity," says Favre.
"Winning the Super Bowl so close to home makes it extra special because I
had so much family and friends in the stadium watching."
July 25,
1997
The two-time MVP signs a seven-year deal with the Green Bay Packers that is
reportedly worth between $42 and $48 million. The pact includes a $12
million signing bonus.
Summer
1997
Favre's autobiography Favre: For the Record hits stores. The quarterback
candidly details his struggle with addiction and his battle to overcome it. "If
you're going to tell your story, don't go halfway," he says about the book.
"I'm tired of people asking me questions over the last two or three years about
what went on. From now on people are going to ask me questions and I'll tell
them it's in the
book."
September 21,
1997
The gun-slinging quarterback ties the team record and establishes a career high
when he throws five touchdown passes in the Packers' 38-32 win over
Minnesota.
December 27,
1997
Favre becomes the first NFL player ever to win the MVP three times when he and
Barry Sanders and named co-winners of the award. It's only the second time in
the 41-year history of the award that two players share the honor (Norm Van
Brocklin and Joe Schmidt in 1960). "I can't believe a little country kid like
me has won it three times," Favre says. "No one has ever done it
before. Considering where I came from and how hard it was to get here, it's
everything I thought it would be and then some."
January 25,
1998
Favre and the Packers can't make it back-to-back Super Bowl victories as they
lose the big game to the Denver Broncos 31-24 in San Diego. Favre finishes the game with 256 yards
passing, three touchdowns and one
interception.
July 15, 1998
Favre appears in a cameo role in the box office hit There's Something
About Mary. He gives his $5,000 fee to the Brett Favre Foundation, which
supports several charitable organizations including Boys & Girls Clubs,
Special Olympics and Cystic Fibrosis.
December 21,
1998
Against the Houston Oilers, Brett throws his 30th touchdown of the season to
overtake Dan Marino for the most consecutive 30-plus passing touchdown seasons
in history with
five.
December 28,
1998
Favre cements his status as one of the best quarterbacks ever with another
stellar campaign. His 4,212 yards and 347 completions lead the NFL as he
starts all 16 games for the sixth straight year.
July 13,
1999
Brett and Deanna welcome their second child to the world, Breleigh. She
arrives five weeks early, but is a healthy 5 lb., 7 oz. and 17
inches long.
November 7,
1999
Favre breaks Ron Jaworski's record of most consecutive regular-season starts by
a quarterback when he begins his 117th game in a
row.
December
1999
Brett joins his family in the release of Favre Family Cookbook: Three
Generations of Cajun and Creole Cooking from the Gulf Coast. The book
includes recipes from three generations of
Favres.
December 12,
1999
In his 126th game as a pro, Favre reaches the 30,000-yard plateau for passing
yards. He is the third fastest to that
milestone.
December 24,
2000
Favre earns his 100th win as a pro when the Packers defeat Tampa Bay, 17-14 in
overtime.
February 28,
2001
Favre signs a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Packers. "No player
in the NFL identifies or is more closely linked to a specific team like Brett
Favre is to the Green Bay Packers," says general manager and head coach
Mike Sherman. "He embodies the spirit and character of Packers fans
everywhere. I do not think there is a player in the NFL that experiences a
relationship with the fans like Brett Favre does. That is very, very
special." Favre could be the NFL's first nine-figure player, however, the
contract, which includes a $10 million signing bonus, is basically a six-year
deal for salary cap purposes. The final few years of the deal call for extremely
high salaries that Favre will never earn. He has said he doesn't see himself
playing beyond 2006, the year he will turn 37.
October 14,
2001
Favre records the 30th 300-yard passing game of his career with a 337-yard
effort in a 31-23 win against Baltimore. The stellar play -- three touchdowns
on 27 of 34 passing and no interceptions -- nets the veteran quarterback the NFC
Offensive Player of the Week
honor.
January 13,
2002
A vintage Favre performance leads to a Packers' 25-15 victory in their wild-card
game against San Francisco. The Green Bay legend completes 22 of 29 passes for
269 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. "You take away the
interception, I don't think a quarterback could have a better game than
that," coach Mike Sherman says. "He took total control of that
football game."
January 20,
2002
The postseason magic didn't last long for Favre, who has his worst day as a pro
against the Rams in a 45-17 divisional playoff loss. In the blowout, Favre
throws six interceptions -- a career high and an NFL postseason record. However,
in his typical upbeat fashion, Favre stays optimistic. "It's not the end of
the world," he says after the game. "We'll be back. I'll be back. My
plan is to make everyone forget about what happened."
--Text by Jimmy Traina
Photographs by; Courtesy Bonita Favre, Doug Hoke, Ronald C. Modra, John Biever, Al Tielemans, John Biever (2), John W. McDonough, Vernon Biever, Peter Read Miller, John Biever, Ronald C. Modra, John Biever (2), Addax Pub Group
