'I knew about the repercussions' - Brett Favre opens up about playing through pain to set NFL record
Former quarterback Brett Favre has many things to be proud of after calling his career following the 2010 NFL season.
For instance, Favre was the first quarterback to obtain 70,000 yards, attempt 10,000 passes, complete 6,000, throw 500 touchdowns and win at least one game against all 32 teams.
Favre played for 20 seasons in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons drafted him in 1991; he then went to the Green Bay Packers the following year. As a Cheesehead, Ol' Gunslinger won Super Bowl XXXI and won the NFL MVP award three times in a row (1995, 1996, and 1997). Favre played for the Packs between 1992 and 2007.
In 2008 he went to the New York Jets, and from 2009 to 2010, Favre played for the Minnesota Vikings.
Following Favre's retirement, the Packers retired his No. 4 and introduced Favre to their Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2016, the NFL inducted Ol' Gunslinger into the Hall of Fame.
What is Brett Favre's favorite record?
Throughout his 20-year career, Favre accomplished many things, but there is one special to him: his record for most consecutive starts.
The thing @BrettFavre's most proud of?
He was as tough as they come.
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"I ended up playing that nine-game stretch with a broken thumb. People call that the 'Iron Man.' They call it-- Mike Holmgren's favourite term was 'John Wayne.' He called me John Wayne. 'You don't have to be John Wayne.' But I think that's the thing I'm most proud of in my career. And that may or may not surprise people, but the reason that I'm most proud of that, it symbolizes a couple of things-- that I played through pain-- And, you know, that may come back to hunt me at some point in my life. You know, it is what it is. [It] Can't be undone. But I knew that when I was playing. I knew that the repercussions could be there."
In November 2004, in a Monday Night Football game against the then St. Louis Rams, Favre started his 200th consecutive game. At the time, it was a record for quarterbacks.
At the time, Ron Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who played 116 in a row, stated the following about Favre's endurance:
"For Brett to be making his 200th consecutive start is simply incomprehensible. Brett shattered my record, and he just keeps on going and going. That's a testament to his toughness. There may never have been a tougher player, at any position, than Brett Favre."
Ol' Gunslinger truly shattered the record as he finished his career with a total of 321 consecutive starts (297 in the regular season and 24 in the playoffs). Only punter Jeff Feagles is above him with 352 in a row starts. Of course, Favre's numbers are more impressive because the NFL is way rougher on quarterbacks than on punters.
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Regardless of how things went after Favre's retirement, Ol' Gunslinger is right to be so proud of this record.
Also Checkout: Brett Favre Superbowl Wins