Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre is a Packers guy and will always be known as a Packers guy. However, he was once a Falcons guy and many people look past that.
Favre played his collegiate career at Southern miss, a smaller school and started all four years. He wasn’t regarded as a first-round QB coming out of college. Little did anyone know…
Favre was drafted in the second round (33rd overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1991 NFL Draft.
‘Buckhead Brett’
Favre was young and drafted into Atlanta—one of the largest cities with crazy bar scenes that attracted Favre. Several stories claim he nearly ‘drank the whole city dry’ and was always seen enjoying the bars in Buckhead, hence the nickname.
At the time, Atlanta was a disastrous team already, almost like a frat house party and Favre tried so hard to fit in as a misfit.
Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville was not the biggest Favre fan. When he met Favre face-to-face at camp he embarrassed Favre in front of his teammates by telling him he meant to draft “the guy from Mississippi State.”
Glanville barely played Favre his rookie season. Favre played a total of five snaps. He completed zero passes, threw two interceptions, and was sacked for an eleven-yard loss.
In his last game, Favre played 55 seconds and managed to mess it up. The Washington Redskins were up 49–17. Favre threw a touchdown pass to the other team. He came back to the sidelines.
He went back in on the fourth down. With eight seconds remaining, Favre lofted a 55-yard Hail Mary that was picked off by Redskins’ cornerback Sidney Johnson.
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‘Last Straw’ for Favre
Gunslinger by Jeff Pearlman tells the story of Brett Favre and his remarkable, improbable, iconic life through 500 interviews.
Favre is said to have strolled into camp as cocky as ever.
Former Falcons’ guard Chris Hinton was one of the interviews and gave his scoop of Favre. “I’d played in six Pro Bowls by that point, and this kid comes up to me in camp and tells me he has the strongest arm in the NFL,” says Hinton. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’”
There was one moment, however, that sparked Glenville to end it all. It was during the annual official team photograph at the Suwanee training facility. Favre sped into the parking lot an hour after the shoot had already happened. He confronted Glanville and told him he had gotten stuck behind an awful traffic accident until he saw Glanville wasn’t catching onto the lie and told him he was hungover and didn’t set an alarm.
“I got trapped behind a car wreck,” Favre told the coach.
“You are a car wreck,” Glanville replied.
Favre was fined $1,500. And when Favre would tell people he played for Atlanta, they would accuse him of lying from not being in the team’s picture in 1991.
The Falcons would later trade the future Hall-Of-Famer in the upcoming offseason to the Green Bay Packers for a first-round pick.
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‘Buckhead Brett’ Favre’s One Reckless Season in Atlanta