mycatharsis.com

You knew it had to happen sometime, but as the years passed, you almost wondered. Brett Favre has finally retired. I was just starting my second year in college when he became the Packers quarterback. It’s just incredible to think that, at 35, he’s been the Packers qb for nearly half my life! I remember watching him complete his first pass, to himself, and wondering if that foretold anything about what kind of qb he’d be. In a way it was a fitting start to a qb known for his ability to improvise.

Most incredible, the last qb to start a game for the Packers (Don Majkowski) was drafted in 1987 and led his team to a win in the 1984 Peach Bowl!

By far my best memories would have to be gathering with friends in Watson Hall or South Hall at UW-Stevens Point and listening to the ruckus that would emanate down the entire hall, not just in our rooms, when he threw a touchdown or, almost as commonly, a huge interception. Win or loss, you knew you’d hear some hooting and hollering. The Packers were just starting to put it together behind Favre, and watching this team get closer and closer to the promised land was exciting, to say the least.

The Packers have been good or decent for such a long time now that it’s easy to forget just how bad they were before Favre, Ron Wolf, and Mike Holmgren came to town. Doing some quick math, I found the Packers record to be 161-95 during his time, and 97-143 for the same number of years before his arrival!

But the best memories for me will be that of watching his games with friends and the excitement and the camaraderie that went with those college years! The fact that he was still around and slinging the ball in an NFC Championship game a decade later is just another tribute to his greatness.

Favre being Favre, I think there’s at least a decent chance we haven’t seen the last of him in uniform. Either way, an era has passed today, but the memories it created, laughing and drinking with college buddies, watching him at work, are what will remain with me forever.