Players-Sb

, statistically the most
accomplished signal caller in National Football League history,
will retire from the Green Bay Packers hebdomads after coming up one
victory short of making the Superintendent Bowl.

Favre, 38, said today he would complete his calling after 17
NFL seasons, 16 of them with Green Bay, where he won an
unprecedented three NFL most-valuable participant awardings and a league
championship after the 1996 season.

Favre was one of the most popular jocks in the U.S. A
2007 rated him the public's favorite NFL participant and
the fourth-most popular athlete, behind golf player , New
York Yankees shortstop and former basketball game all-
star .

''He have had one of the top callings in the history of
the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from
the game on his ain footing -- not many participants are able to do
that,'' Packers General Director said in a televised
news conference.

Green Bay manager said he spoke with Favre
around 7 p.m. last nighttime and the signal caller said he felt
mentally tired by the asperities of NFL life.

Favre's agent, Jesse James Cook, didn't immediately go back a
phone phone call to his business office seeking comment. Favre's lone comment
was a to ESPN, saying he was worn down.

Favre retires having completed 5,377 bases on balls for 61,655
yards, 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions, . He
was selected to nine Pro Bowls and throws the grade for wins by a
starting quarterback, with 160. He also started 253 straight
regular-season games, a record for NFL quarterbacks.

Trade to Packers

The indigen of Kiln, Mississippi, was selected in the second
round of the 1991 NFL bill of exchange by the Capital Of Georgia Falcons and traded to
Green Bay after the season for a first-round draft choice. He
replaced injured starter motor inch the first one-fourth of
the 3rd game and led the Packers to a 9-7 season, the team's
second-best in 20 years.

Favre started every Green Bay game through 2007, leading
the squad to the Superintendent Bowl after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. He
won the NFL most-valuable participant awarding each twelvemonth from 1995-97.

Success made him a national icon. Favre ranks 2nd among
active football game participants on Selling Evaluation Inc.'s Q Scores,
which measurement U.S. consumer consciousness of people and their
marketability, behind Capital Of Indiana Colts signal caller and ahead of New England Patriots signal caller .

Henry Schafer, the company's executive director frailty president, said
Favre is the third-most popular jock of any kind among sports
fans, behind Forest and Manning.

'Prime Star'

''It's going to be a loss for the NFL,'' Schafer said in an
interview. ''They're losing one of their premier stars.''

NFL Commissioner said in a statement that
Favre will be remembered as one of the top participants in
league history.

''It have been a joyousness and privilege for all of us to watch
him play,'' Goodell said.

Favre's length of service contributed to his popularity, said , executive manager director of the Sports Business Institute at
the University of Southern California's E. G. Marshall School of
Business. He said Favre also come ups across on telecasting as
likeable and comfortable.

''He's A cat that a batch of folks could associate to --
scrappy,'' said Carter. ''He just looks very authentic. I think
when you get married that with his consistence on the field, it's
resulted in not just football game fans, but consumers, having a high
regard for him.''

Favre appeared as himself in 1998's highest-grossing comedy
film, ''There's Something about Mary.'' Inch 2004, Men's Journal
magazine called him the ''Toughest Guy in America.''

Division Title

Favre discussed retiring after each of the past several
seasons. In 2007, he completed 356 of 535 bases on balls for 4,155
yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as the Packers won the
National Football Conference North division after an 8-8 mark
the former year.

Green Bay lost the NFC title to the New House Of York Giants,
23-20 in overtime on Jan. 20, after Favre threw an interception
that set up the winning field goal.

On the manner to the division title, Favre broke records for
passing paces and touchdowns held by former Miami Dolphins
quarterback . He claimed the NFL record for career
wins with 149 in the season's 2nd week, breaking the mark
held by .

His concluding triumph included that characterized
Favre's fearless, and sometimes reckless, style. Against the
Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoff round, Favre and the
Packers faced 3rd down and eight on the Seattle 14-yard line. As Favre stepped back to pass, Seahawks defensive attitude end raced through the middle, grabbed Favre's T-shirt and
tried to swing him to the ground.

Spin, Impudent

Favre spun away and ran toward the right sideline. Just
before falling face-first into the snow, he flipped the ball
underhanded to , who ran for a first down and set up a
touchdown tally soon after. Favre after the game called the play
''a backbreaker'' that had about a 10 percentage opportunity of success.

McCarthy said he spoke this morning time with Favre's backup,
, World Health Organization seemed ''surprised'' astatine the announcement. Richard Rodgers have played in seven NFL games, with one touchdown pass,
since the Packers took him in the first unit of ammunition of the 2005 draft.

Thompson said Favre seemed at peace with his determination and
he doesn't anticipate the signal caller will change his mind. Thompson
said he would discourse the team's hereafter at another time.

''I cognize fans are absolutely devastated today,'' he said. ''The Packers will travel forward, but certainly we've all been
blessed to see this adult male drama the game the manner he played it.''

Thompson said Favre's popularity came from his enthusiasm.

''I believe he's the small male child in all of us,'' Thompson
said. ''He plays the game like you would in the backyard.''

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