HR1231 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On March 6, 2008, Brett Lorenzo Favre officially retired from the National Football League after 16 years as a Green Bay Packer; and

WHEREAS, Favre embodied the heart and soul of the NFL with his workmen-like approach, his gun slinging mentality, his childlike enthusiasm, and his love for the game; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre completed his 17-year career as the National Football League's all-time leader in every significant career passing category, including touchdowns (442), completions (5,377), attempts (8,758), yards (61,557), and wins (160); and

WHEREAS, With 160 victories as quarterback, Brett Favre ranks 1st ahead of John Elway (148) and Dan Marino (147); and

WHEREAS, During an NFL game on September 20, 1992, Brett Favre replaced an injured Don Majkowski; when Favre entered the game midway thorough the fourth quarter, Green Bay trailed 20-10; the Packers won the game 24-23 with Favre directing an 88-yard touchdown drive and a game-winning march capped by a 35-yard touchdown to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining; Favre started the following week and every other for the next 16 years; and

WHEREAS, Upon taking over the reins as the Green Bay Packers signal caller on Sept. 20, 1992, Brett Favre has started the ensuing 275 contests (with 253 regular season starts), a record for NFL quarterbacks and the second-longest recorded streak in the league; with 10 quarterbacks making their initial NFL start in 2007, a total of 212 signal callers have opened a game since Favre began his streak; and

WHEREAS, As the league's only three-time consecutive Most Valuable Player, Brett Favre led the Packers to 11 playoff appearances, including a club-record six in a row (1993 to 1998), seven division crowns, four NFC Championship Games, and back-to-back Super Bowls appearances, as well as a World Championship with a 35-21 victory over New England in Super Bowl XXXI, returning the Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay for the first time in 29 years; and

WHEREAS, The former Southern Mississippi leader's success is partially attributed to a commanding knowledge of his offense, his astute observation of countless defenses designed to stop him, and his physical ability, especially his renowned arm strength and gunslinger mentality; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre's legacy transcends the passes, the touchdowns, and the statistics; the inspiring leader will go down as one of the most beloved players of his generation; and

WHEREAS, The swashbuckling Southerner embodies the heart of America's favorite game; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre topped the Harris Poll, in a survey of American sports fans, as the nation's favorite football player in 2006 and placed third among all sports figures, behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan; and

WHEREAS, In February 2004, Brett Favre was named as the No. 1 'Toughest Athlete in Sports' by USA Today, and again in March 2004; in an issue of Men's Journal, he was chosen as the No. 1 'Toughest Guy in America' on the basis of his "fearlessness, perseverance, a willingness to take risk, a tolerance for pain and even a dash of modesty"; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award from the Make a Wish Foundation in 2007 for "being a true standout, even among the many generous celebrities who help create magical experiences for the kids who wish to meet them"; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre was selected to be in the 2007 Pro Bowl; his ninth Pro Bowl selections ties Forrest Gregg's team record and is one less than Johnny Unitas' NFL record (10); additionally, he was a was a seven-time All-Pro selection; and

WHEREAS, During the 2007 season, Joe Buck stated that Brett Favre "led the league in smiles"; and

WHEREAS, One of the defining moments of Brett Favre's career and arguably his greatest game ever took place on December 22, 2003, in a Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders; the day before, on Sunday, December 21, 2003, Brett's father Irvin Favre ran into a ditch and died near Kiln, Mississippi; Favre elected to play the day after his father's death; he passed for four touchdowns in the first half of the game with 399 total yards in a 41-7 victory over the Raiders on international television; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre has solidified his standing among the game's all-time elite by earning the NFL's 'MVP' honor a record three times, capturing the Associated Press award over the 1995, 1996 and 1997 seasons; he was a runner-up in 2002 as well; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre collaborated with former Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman for 57 touchdown passes from 1995 to 2001, the sixth-best such duo in NFL history; from 1992 to 2004, he won at least eight games for an NFL-record 13 consecutive seasons, substantially better than the next closest player, Ken Stabler, who had eight straight .500-or-better seasons from 1973 to 1980; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre is the NFL's most accurate passer among those with at least 6,000 career attempts; his 61.4% career completion percentage places him ahead of No. 2 Dan Marino (59.4 percent); and

WHEREAS, With it being impossible for someone to better it, Brett Favre will be the permanent possessor of at least one all-time NFL record - that for longest pass completion - as he hooked up with wideout Robert Brooks for a 99-yard score in a 1995 game; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre finished his career as the NFL's leader in career interceptions, with 288; additionally, football fans and Packer fans alike insist that Favre's interceptions should no longer be referred to as interceptions, but "gunslings" instead; and

WHEREAS, During his remarkable run, 17 different quarterbacks have served as Brett Favre's backup in Green Bay; chronologically, they are Majkowski (1992), Ty Detmer (1992-95), Mark Brunell (1993-94), T.J. Rubley (1995), Bob Gagliano (1995), Doug Pederson (1995-98, 2001-04), Jim McMahon (1995-96), Steve Bono (1997), Rick Mirer (1998), Matt Hasselbeck (1999-2000), Aaron Brooks (1999), Danny Wuerffel (2000), Henry Burris (2001), Craig Nall (2002-05), Aaron Rodgers (2005-06), Ingle Martin (2006), and Todd Bouman (2006); only six times over the course of his streak has a backup had to complete a game due to injury; and

WHEREAS, Brett Favre became the Packers starter in the third week of the 1992 NFL season and never missed another start; he played through knee, thumb, ankle and foot injuries, overcame an addiction to alcohol and painkillers, soldiered on through the loss of his father, his wife's bout with breast cancer, and the loss of the family home in Mississippi in Hurricane Katrina; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize and applaud Brett Favre's accomplishments during his 17 seasons as an NFL quarterback, for his talent and grit displayed on the field, and for his humility off the field; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Brett Favre, the Favre family, and the Green Bay Packers Organization.