“Brett Favre The All-Time Leader”, a biography by Laura Marchesanti , gives an insightful look into the life of the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback. According to Marchesanti, Favre was a fierce and dedicated competitor. Throughout his career he never missed a game. He holds records for the most touchdown passes thrown, most yards thrown for, most attempted and completed passes, as well as the most interceptions thrown. Often he played while sick or injured. This is why he is most proud of his record for most consecutive starts. During one season with the Green Bay Packers, Favre played twelve games with a broken index finger on his throwing hand. That year he managed to complete thirty-two touch-down passes, the third best total of his career. During his only year with the New York Jets, he played the final nine games of the season with a torn bicep muscle on his throwing arm. It wasn’t until his last season, while playing for the Minnesota Vikings, that his record for consecutive starts came to an end when he was knocked unconscious and suffered a severe concussion.
Given what I have learned about Brett Favre, there are several current events that I think he would find interesting. For example, the issue of health care for retired NFL players would most likely be of concern to him. So would the topic of concussions in the NFL. As a former Green Bay Packer, Favre is concerned about his legacy with that team. Recent reports that the Packers want to honor him with a special home game ceremony this season surely have caught his attention. Furthermore, as one who holds many professional football records, Favre is most likely following stories of current quarterbacks, like Tom Brady, who are on track to surpass him. Finally, the ongoing problem of drug use by NFL players is a topic that would likely catch his attention.
In recent years, the topic of health care for retired players has become a huge issue for the NFL. Injuries are common in football. Many football players’ careers end due to being injured. When a player’s career ends, his health insurance ends too. This means that often injured players have no health coverage when they need it. Since most NFL players’ careers last only four years, many football players find it difficult to get health care. Insurance companies will not pay for injuries players received while they were playing. They refer to these as pre-existing conditions. Often too, when a player gets hurt, he has problems latter in his life, long after his NFL health care is gone. Brett Favre played much longer than most football players. He received many injuries and had surgery on his elbow and ankle. He suffers from arthritis and probably worries about the effects of his concussion. Because the cost of health care is great and because he has suffered many injuries, he’d support affordable health care for retired players. Given the violent nature of football, concussions are a common injury that players suffer. Memory loss, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise and constant irritability are some of the effects of a concussion. Players who receive multiple concussions often suffer from depression. Some players, like Junior Seau, end up committing suicide. For these reasons, the NFL is beginning to take concussions seriously. The league has changed rules on tackling and kick-offs to help prevent them. Further changes are being considered by the football team owners. Because he suffered a season ending concussion in his last year, Brett Favre would support changes that would protect players and prevent more concussions. Given the cost of medical care for concussions and the problem of health care for retired players, reducing concussions is something he’d support. According to Laura Marchesanti, Brett Favre was not happy about leaving the Green Bay Packers. He was a major reason for the team’s return to success after more than a decade of failure. Under his leadership,
