Brett Favre Becomes Part Of 2016 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Class
Brett Favre became the 14th first ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback on Saturday night after being voted in, according to USA Today.
Favre, who has been described as having a “gun-slinging approach” to quarterbacking, became one of the eight members of the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, in his first year of being eligible to do so.
“It’s an incredible feeling. It really is,” said Favre. “I’m well aware of my career and what I’ve done and I’ve accepted it for what it is, but Roger Staubach comes on stage and I get goosebumps.”
It was reported by FOX Sports that Favre, who has had a distinguished career playing mostly with the Green Bay Packers, was expected to be nominated. Some of his accomplishments include winning a championship in the 1997 Super Bowl, and three consecutive NFL MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards between 1995 and 1997. According to NFL Media, Favre, as an NFL passer, had 6,300 completions, 10,169 attempts, 71,838 yards, and 508 touchdowns.
“I’m extremely thankful I’m part of the group, but I honestly feel like I’m not part of the group,” said Favre. “And I mean that with the utmost respect.”
Favre also spoke fondly of fellow quarterback Ken “The Snake” Stabler, who was also posthumously inducted. He talked about traveling from his home in Mississippi to the New Orleans Superdome in 1984, to see Stabler’s final home game with his father, older brother, and uncle.
”All of a sudden, the crowd goes crazy, and it’s because Ken Stabler poked his head out of the locker room. He had hair like mine. His was just a lot longer, kind of aged and gray,” said Favre. ”And I thought: Man, that’s cool.”
According to USA Today, Stabler also played for the Oakland Raiders when they won Super Bowl XI and earned his name “The Snake” for his wild personality and playing style. Stabler died in July of 2015 of colon cancer and was said to have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE), a brain disease.
The other members of the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class include: Eddie DeBartolo, Jr., former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Kevin Greene, a linebacker/defensive end for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers, Marvin Harrison, a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, Orlando Pace, who played tackle for the St. Louis Rams, and the late Dick Stanfel, who played guard for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.
Rich Cimini, a staff writer for ESPN, wrote about Favre’s brief, but memorable stint with the New York Jets in 2008. He felt that Favre agreed to be traded to the Jets because he was motivated by ego and spite.
“Favre’s legacy with the Jets will be the sordid sexting scandal with a team game-day hostess that resulted in a $50,000 fine by the NFL,” said Cimini. “So I don’t think he will be waxing nostalgic about the Jets during his Hall of Fame speech.”
Jon Benne, a writer for the sports media website SB Nation, described the usual process of inducting players, coaches, or owners into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an “arduous one.” Voters could spend many hours debating the merits of each person nominated. However, the process to nominate Brett Favre took much less time; only six seconds according to columnist Rick Gosselin in a Twitter post.
The longest discussion of the HOF meeting was Eddie DeBartolo Jr. at 50 minutes, 33 seconds. The shortest? Brett Favre at six seconds.
— Rick Gosselin (@RickGosselin9) February 6, 2016
NFL Media weighed in and noted that the debate lasted nine seconds, but felt no matter how long it was, there was no discussion needed for Favre’s entrance into the Hall of Fame, noting his long list of accomplishments.
“Yes, Favre was the biggest slam-dunk candidate in this year’s Hall of Fame class. Maybe the committee realized that, too,” said Benne. “So we’re guessing one voter got up, just said ‘Brett Favre’ and everyone quickly nodded their heads and moved on.”
Brett Favre shared on Twitter today his excitement about Super Bowl 50 on Twitter.
I made it! Who else is ready for #sb50? https://t.co/W7JcwJ0q3w
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) February 7, 2016
[Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images]
