GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay Packers legendary quarterback Brett Favre got the votes he needed to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first try.
Favre played for Green Bay from 1992-2007 and finished his Packers career with 442 passing touchdowns, 61,655 passing yards, 5,377 completions and 8,754 attempts – all NFL records at the time. He started 253 consecutive games for the Packers, and his 16 seasons matched QB Bart Starr (1956-71) for the longest tenure in team history.
Favre led the Packers to 11 playoff appearances, 7 division titles, 2 NFC championships and one Super Bowl title.
Originally the 33rd overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by Atlanta, Favre played for three other NFL franchises (Falcons, 1991; New York Jets, 2008; Minnesota Vikings, 2009-10) and finished his pro career with 71,838 passing yards, 6,300 completions, 10,169 attempts, 508 passing touchdowns and 298 consecutive games started – all NFL records as of his retirement in 2010.
Favre had 18 consecutive seasons with 3,000 or more yards passing, along with 23 games with four or more touchdown passes. All were NFL bests when he retired. Favre was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and was named NFL Most Valuable Player and first-team All-Pro three times.
“The Green Bay Packers organization and all our fans congratulate Brett on his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement. “Brett was a one-of-a-kind player with an approach to the game that endeared him not only to Packers fans, but also to millions of football fans across the world. He’s one of the game’s all-time greats and this honor is well deserved. We look forward to his enshrinement ceremony in August.”
He will get his traditional yellow jacket during enshrinement weekend in Canton, Ohio, August 4th through the 7th. Favre is the 24th member of the Packers to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is another incredible and well-deserved honor for Brett. He belongs among the greatest players in the history of the game,” said Packers Coach Mike McCarthy in a statement. “It was a privilege to work with Brett during his spectacular career with the Green Bay Packers. Congratulations Brett, Deanna and the Favre family.”
“We were very fortunate to have someone like Brett Favre come along, and it was a controversial move when Ron Wolf sent a first-round draft choice to Atlanta for a third-string quarterback. But it turned out to be the best trade in Packers history and maybe one of the top trades in the history of the National Football League, ” Packers Chairman Emeritus Bob Harlan says. “What I am most thankful for is Brett gave us 16 wonderful years of exciting, winning football, and of all the records he set, I think the most amazing was the 253 consecutive starts at quarterback. He was playing the most difficult position in the toughest sport and every Sunday he was ready to give everything he had for this franchise. That turned out to be two trips to the Super Bowl and three MVPs, and it was really a remarkable career. When you look back at the problems we had in Green Bay in the 1970s and 1980s, you have to thank him because it was Brett Favre, Reggie White, Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren that formed the foundation to bring this franchise back to elite status.”
“When I traded for Brett Favre I thought he would be sensational. He became incomparable, ” said former Packers VP and GM Ron Wolf. “They say that old Yankee Stadium was the house that Ruth built. Well, the Lambeau Field reconstruction is the house that Favre built.”
“Congratulations to Brett on his selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a once in a generation type of player,” said Packers EVP, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson. “He was also a great teammate and his contributions and impact on Green Bay and the NFL are remarkable. This is a well-deserved honor and a great day for football.”
Linebacker Kevin Greene, a Packers coach for five seasons, was among seven others inducted Saturday.
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