We know a bit about this story. How Brett Favre got traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Green Bay Packers.
It’s an interesting tale.
The Falcons drafted Favre early in the second round (No. 33) of the 1991 draft. After a single season, they sent him to the Packers for a first-round draft pick.
There wasn’t a clear path for Favre to get on the field with the Falcons, who had Pro Bowl quarterback Chris Miller. Coach Jerry Glanville hated him and Favre’s hard-partying lifestyle was already becoming evident.
Packers general manager Ron Wolf coveted Favre. Wolf was with the Jets in 1991 and wanted to draft Favre in the second round — the Jets instead were left with Browning Nagle at No. 34.
So even though Favre was a second-rounder a year earlier, Wolf traded a first-rounder (No. 19) for him.
That worked out fine.
What can we add to this story?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Ken Herock, the vice president of player personnel with Atlanta from 1987-96, the guy who drafted Favre.
Herock says he loved Favre and even considered trading up to get him. Then Favre got to Atlanta and the coaching staff took a toll.
“They ruined him down in our place, made a mockery of him. They didn’t know how to handle him,” Herock said.
After one season, Herock was convinced he had to make a move.
“I remember Brett would see me and ask me when we were going to start playing him,’’ he said. “I am thinking we have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Chris Miller and this rookie is telling me he is the best quarterback on the team. But the coaches were telling me he was drunk in meetings, was fat and erratic. After the season, I didn’t have much of a leg to stand on. I thought it may be time to fess up and get rid of my mistake.’’
And so began the legend of Brett Favre.
Or so it grows.
Always cocksure. Always a drunken gunslinger.
It truly was a different era in the NFL. Favre would be another Johnny Manziel today.
You can’t compare Favre to Manziel. Johnny football is a little bitch who could never throw with accuracy or make good decisions. He could never lead a group of men. He couldn’t be a successful qb even if he was sober. Favre was a wild man but he played with balls and true charisma. He also had superior talent. A team will follow a guy like that even if he likes to get fucked up from time to time.
Yup, and Favre may have been an alleged womanizer, but he hasn’t beaten any of them far as the public knows. He also managed to get his shit straight, eventually; Manziel is still TBD.
I don’t think the author was comparing Favre and Manziel. But more the difference social media has on them then, vs. now.
Brett Favre was and still is one of the most gifted NFL players in history, next to the likes of Barry Sanders, Jim Brown and Deion Sanders. Manziel was a great college QB who was treated like a god in college and the celebrity status got to his head.
Favre’s gift was his arm, and his competitive spirit. The most “gifted” is a stretch. Favre himself acknowledged that he should have done more. He stated he started taking the job more seriously after Rogers was drafted. 14 years into his career. When i think of gifts and Brett Favre, i think 377 and a lot of missed opportunity’s to advance in the playoffs.
Ron Wolf drafted Nagle who was a bust, one that the Jets fans consider one of their worst all time. At the time of the Favre trade, Wolf said he ‘settled’ for Favre because, in his words at that time , the Packers drafted too low to get David Klingler and Rick Mirer decided not to come out in the 1992 draft. Both Klingler and Mirer were signed by the Packers, so you know Wolf was very interested.
Sometimes its better to be lucky.
Spot-on Deep …..