Yeah!!!!

SUN HERALD EXCLUSIVE
Favre to play in 2007
By AL JONES
SUN HERALD

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will return for the 2007 season, he told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview this morning.

“I am so excited about coming back,” he said. “We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that’s encouraging.

“My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I’m excited about playing for a talented young football team.”

Favre, the former Hancock North Central and Southern Miss star, told the team about his return this morning. He said he’d made the decision after consulting with his family at home in Hattiesburg and that he knew he wanted to come back in the locker room after the season finale against the Chicago Bears.

Favre completed 56 percent of his passes in 2006, throwing for 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The Packers finished 8-8 after a disappointing 2005 season where Favre threw 29 interceptions and had his first losing season as a starter.

Green Bay was in the playoff race until the final week of this season.

He needs one more victory to tie John Elway for most as a quarterback. Favre has completed more passes (5,021) than anyone in NFL history and needs seven touchdown passes to pass Dan Marino’s record of 420.

Favre became the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback three games into the 1992 season, and hasn’t missed a start.

Favre’s streak of 237 consecutive regular-season games started has been compared to Cal Ripken’s record in baseball, and his three NFL Most Valuable Player awards put him in elite company.

In 1996, Favre was the guiding force to the Packers’ first NFL championship in nearly 30 years. Green Bay beat the New England Patriots 35-21 in the Louisiana Superdome, just an hour’s drive or so from his home in Hancock County.

“It’s a great feeling,” Favre said after the game. “The fans have been great and my hometown has been wonderful. It would be great anywhere, but it adds a little bit to it, doing it here, so close to home.”

Favre and the Packers got back to the Super Bowl the next season, but lost to John Elway and the Denver Broncos 31-24. They never got back to the NFC championship game, but remained the best team in the NFC Central, which became the NFC North when the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002.

Favre spent his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons, playing in just two games, before being traded to the Packers in 1992.

“In my mind, I remember saying this is my last opportunity,” Favre said. “Whether that was true or not, I kind of put that pressure on myself.”

Read more about Favre’s return at sunherald.com throughout the day.