Brett Favre’s emotional story will make you hug your dad

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre was welcomed by thousands of fans for his induction the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Ron Wolf is the single most important person to the Packers’ rebirth than any other person out there – player, coach, GM”, Favre said. “I hope I succeeded”, Favre said.

“The best a football player can do is exhaust his passion, go out on his terms, and on the way having fun kicking people’s butts with his brothers”, Greene said. He will redeem himself. I know my son. “He has it in him'”. It will take another special quarterback-with the rare combination of unquestionable toughness and overriding talent of Favre-to ever threaten his National Football League record. “My chest kind of swelled up”, he said. He had the ultimate secret to the father-son playbook.

“The football gods have really gotta be laughing at this one, because I had been beaten so many times by Steve Young and Jerry Rice”. He retired as the league’s all-time leader in passes attempted, completed, yards and touchdowns.

And, he opened up a fresh vein or two, bringing tears to every father’s son when he spoke of his late dad: the tough love, the lack of praise, the push for personal improvement.

Mine was no different. “Kevin would just tap you after the whistle and say, ‘I’m getting closer.’ And I’m thinking, ‘He is getting closer and we have 10 minutes left'”. Whatever. You win. I don’t think I look good with my hair parted that way, but hey, so be it.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen won the McCann Award from the Pro Football Writers of America for long and distinguished contribution to pro football through media coverage. Favre was everything I wish I could be as an athlete. It’s easy to hide behind Favre at that point.

Thompson also added that he hadn’t been a part of anything quite like Sunday when the Hall of Fame Game between the Packers and Colts was called off due to field conditions.

He said the Hall of Fame wasn’t a consideration in his mind until a revelation on the plane ride to MS for his father’s funeral following the Raiders game.

“A new goal entered into my mind then and there”, Favre said.

Almost 29 minutes into his speech, Favre turned to the other Hall of Fame players on stage and said, “They told me I’ve got 8 to 10 minutes, and these guys are clocking me right now”. Nearly all of them have that moment that defines them. Favre said. “Ultimately, the man says, ‘whatever.’ Am I right?” “It had been nearly 25 years since the Packers had any success when Ron Wolf took over”. But I thought there was tremendous upside. “That night, the tremendous respect and honor that was shown to me and my family from the Oakland Raider fans was spectacular”. I wonder if Favre felt that Saturday, too.

“I’m relieved”, he said. “He’s different.” That’s true. He lives that out now with Deanna and his daughters Brittany and Breleigh. But I never forgot that statement and that comment that he made to those other coaches. “You get one of those in a lifetime and he was mine”. “And I’m most proud of that”.

Even in the twilight of his career, Favre found some success on the stat sheet with those teams, including leading the Vikings, a major rival of the Packers, to an NFC North title in 2009. Nearly all of them have that moment that defines them, but there are so many moments to enjoy in this life. My wife and I just happen to get to experience a few of those in a few weeks.

It had been his father’s dream to introduce Favre on the day that he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.