The Night Brett Favre's Legend Grew

There may have never been another player that captured the hearts of a fanbase quite like Brett Favre did for the Green Bay Packers.

When Favre showed up in Green Bay in 1992, the Packers were mired in mediocrity since the days of Vince Lombardi.

They'd won a total of one playoff game in a strike-shortened season.

A once proud franchise was now a punchline.

Favre changed all of that.

Favre with the help of Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf, was able to get the Packers to the top of the league.

Ron Wolf said in the Packers' Legacy documentary that they, "Breathed breath into the crown jewel of the National Football League."

It's true.

With Favre under center, the Packers never suffered a losing season during the 1990s. 

Favre won the league's MVP award in three consecutive seasons, including in 1996 when he helped the Packers lift the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XXXI. 

If you're like me, and born in the 1990s, you were probably raised on Brett Favre.

My first vivid football memory was Favre's first touchdown pass in Super Bowl XXXI. A 54-yard strike to Andre Rison to open the scoring.

Favre would be seen running off the field with his helmet above his head.

That has become the iconic image of that game.

It's also the moment that I became smitten with the Packers, and football.

I'm not alone. If you ask any kid born in the same region, they'll probably tell you some sort of story that's very similar.

All of us not only wanted to root for Brett Favre, we wanted to be Brett Favre.

Favre was already established as a legend in Wisconsin for his fun-loving personality, toughness, and daring play style on December 21, 2003. 

The next night, however, Favre's legend was about to grow even more.

News had surfaced that Favre's father, Irvin Favre had passed away.

The Packers needed a win over the Oakland Raiders on the road to stay alive in a playoff chase.

All of that went out the window as Favre grieved the loss of his father. 

His playing status went from a given, as it had been for every game since he became the starter for the Packers, to uncertain.

The iron man, who had played the majority of that season with a broken thumb, now had to decide if he could play with a broken heart.

Play, he did, and what happened next was something nobody could have imagined.

The Raiders' fan base, known to be one of the more intimidating groups in all of football, gave Favre a standing ovation as he walked onto the field for warmups. 

Favre thanked them by playing what might have been the best game of his playing career. 

He completed 22 of 30 passes, throwing for 399 yards, and four touchdown passes.

His receivers remarked that no matter where the ball was, they were going to catch it for him.

They did.

Javon Walker caught two touchdown passes, including one that was between three Raider defenders that seemed destined to be intercepted. 

Ferguson and Driver made highlight reel catches.

Favre's first touchdown of the night, a 22-yard pass to reserve tight end Wesley Walls, may have been the best throw of Favre's career.

There was a certain magic in the air that night. -

"You couldn't draw up a script better than that," coach Mike Sherman said to Bob McGinn. "You hoped he'd play that type of game but the chances of that happening, unless it's Brett Favre, are unlikely. This guy put together a career day."

For as awestruck as the players and coaches were, there were also kids like me watching that night.

I was 12-years-old when Favre attempted to play that night in Oakland.

I did not fully grasp what he was going through. 

How could I? How can anyone? 

Until you've experienced the death of a loved one like that for yourself, you cannot know.

I did know that I felt a pit in my stomach before that game started because I wanted Favre to play well.

I wanted that more than I normally did. 

At that point, it was the most I thought I could do for someone that I felt had given me so much in such a short amount of time. 

Fast forward 19 years, and I was going through a situation of my own. 

January 24, 2022. My father, Rick Westendorf passed away. 

From what little I knew about Irvin Favre, he and my dad were similar.

No nonsense. Do what you're supposed to do, and always do the right thing. 

Favre has since made the remarks when someone asked him whether he thought about sitting out that night in Oakland, that his dad would have told him to play.

“I can just hear him: ‘Bullsh--, you're sitting out. You better get your ass out there and play, so the easy decision was to play. The hard part was to play at a level that I felt in my mind was honoring him.” Favre said. 

19 years later, I drew a similar inspiration as to whether I was going back to work because I could hear my dad saying something similar to me. 

19 years later, that was the lasting impact that night had on me. 

Favre is certainly not a perfect man. The allegations against him are ugly, and if proven true he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. 

On this night in 2003, however, he was pretty darn close to it in Oakland, and a legend that nobody thought could be bigger, grew even more.