Favre, Brett

Favre, Brett (Brett Lorenzo Favre) (färv) [key], 1969–, American football player, b. Gulfport, Miss. As starting quarterback at the Univ. of Southern Mississippi he led the team to two bowl games and 29 wins. Drafted (1991) by the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, he spent most of his single season there on the bench. In 1992 he was traded to the Green Bay Packers, where the spirited quarterback revitalized the team during the 1990s. The NFL's only three-time most valuable player (1995–97), Favre led the Packers to two Superbowls, in 1997, when they won, and 1998, when they lost. His powerful arm and accurate throwing made him an outstanding passer, and he broke many records, including career marks for most completed passes (5,377), most touchdown passes (442), and most yards passing (61,655; all previously held by Dan Marino) and for most wins as a starter (160; previously held by John Elway). He announced his retirement in 2008, having started 275 games in a row (including the postseason; a record) in 16 years with the Packers, but subsequently decided to return to professional football.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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