Number Four

Yesterday during an interview on sirius satellite radio, Donald Driver spoke the words I dread to hear. Brett Favre, in his opinion, will retire. Many people, including Favre and Driver's teammate Ryan Longwell have already begun to question this, but not me. In my heart of hearts I felt Brett Favre had left us for good when he walked off the field on January 9th.

When the game ended I can recall telling both of my parents that I thought he would retire. Everyone I told disagreed, even to this day except for my mom. She knew there was more to him than football. You can't underestimate how tough it is to deal with loss of human life, especially when it strikes you three times within a year. In my opinion when Reggie White passed on that was it for Brett. He saw a good friend of his, not much older than him pass away and he doesn't want to do the same thing before getting to spend more time around his family. I don't know if people truly feel that Favre will return, or they just don't want to imagine what life after Favre will be like for the Packers.

In his interview, Driver said "If you're coming back just because of that playoff game, don't show up..." I couldn't agree any more. Sure, I don't want to see Brett Favre end his career with an embarassing home loss in the playoffs, but only one quarterback can leave the game on top every year. John Elway was lucky. How did Troy Aikman go out, or Steve Young, even Joe Montana? Anyone who has been lucky enough to watch Favre play won't remember him for his playoff loss to the Vikings, they will remember an accumulation of the previous thirteen years.

I remember him taking off his helmet and running around the field like a five year old after tossing his first touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI. I remember him scrambling for a game winning touchdown against the Falcons, propelling the Packers to the playoffs for the first time in twenty-five years. Even this past year, I remember the play that sums up the career of Brett Favre when he returned to the game against doctors orders and tossed a touchdown to Javon Walker just plays after suffering a concussion from the Giants.

More than that I will remember his smile, his laugh, and his enthusiasm and passion for this game. You don't even have to mention the word toughness when you say his name, that's a given. I remember watching Favre show up to training camp and mini camp every year, and give it his all as if he were a rookie. I remember the two gun salute he used to do with LeRoy Butler after tossing touchdowns, or when he would sprint downfield into the endzone so he could tackle the reciever he just threw a touchdown to.

I will always remember December 22, 2003 and so will every Packer fan, Wisconsonite, and probably sporting fan, when Brett Favre played the greatest game I have ever seen him play less than one day after losing his father. I have so many memories of Brett Favre the player. I think it's time his family gets to have some memories of Brett Favre the husband, the father, and the man.

If Brett Favre really is done, I will miss him. I'll miss watching him play the game for kids, like a kid on sundays. I'll miss the highlights and stats he could compile, but as a fan of his, if he wants to retire we as fans nor the packers should stand in his way. We owe at least that much to him. Yeah I'll miss him, but I'll never forget him. I'll always remember number four.