LAMBEAU LEGENDS
“I think I’m pretty smart, and I think I’m really smart when it comes to football,” Favre said, per profootballhof.com. “Some people might not agree, but there comes a time when you want to show that side. If people say, ‘Damn, how did you read that coverage?’ I say, ‘Well, I guess I’m not the dumb redneck you think I am.’ But if they want to keep thinking that way, that’s fine. I’ll just keep walking away with the victories.”
Although they were different in many ways, Favre and Starr held a close bond. e elder signal-caller sent Favre a letter of encouragement a er every game. Starr respected Favre so much that he traveled to Green Bay for Favre’s Ring of Honor ceremony in 2015, despite his health concerns.
“[Bart] looked up at Brett, and Brett looked down at him, he looked up and he said, ‘I love you, Brett,’” Cherry Starr said, via the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website. “And Brett looked down with tears in his eyes and said, ‘I love you too, Bart.’ It was the sweetest moment.”
AARON RODGERS
Patience is a virtue, and there aren’t many all-timers who had to exercise that virtue more than Aaron Rodgers. First off, he had to go the junior college route before getting a Division I shot. A er a standout career at Cal, he slipped from being a potential No. 1 overall pick to No. 24 in the first round. Finally, he had to wait three seasons before being given the starting job with the Packers.
Once Rodgers got his chance, he took full advantage, tossing more than 4,000 yards in four of his first five seasons at the helm. And he still notched 3,922 yards in the lone season not to reach 4,000 yards. e 2019 season will be his 12th as the starter. In 11 years, he has earned seven Pro Bowl bids and two MVP awards, a resume’ that earns serious consideration as the league’s top player.
And while the awards and recognition are great, only one thing solidifies status in Green Bay football lore: A Super Bowl victory.
In yet another example of taking advantage of his opportunities, Rodgers le little doubt about his greatness on Feb. 6, 2011. In Super Bowl XLV vs. the Steelers, Rodgers completed 24-of-39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, good for MVP honors. It was the culmination of years working hard to overcome being overlooked.
“ at’s kind of been my career there, waiting for an opportunity and making the most of it -- high school, junior college, Division I, being a backup, getting overlooked on dra day, three years as a backup, finally getting an opportunity,” Rodgers said a er the Super Bowl. “ is was another opportunity. ey don’t come around that o en, so I just wanted to make the most of it. We did as a team. It was a great team win and a great group of guys in the locker room.”
Like Favre, his predecessor, Rodgers excels at adlibbing on the field. A good athlete, he uses his legs to extend plays. One of the game’s smartest signal-callers, he works with his receivers to develop chemistry during the chaos of a broken play. Lastly, he changes his arm angle to deliver a strike on nearly every throw.
ose traits add up to 42,944 yards, 338 touchdowns and 64.8 completion percentage as he enters his age-36 season. With several good seasons le , he’ll add to his Hall of Fame credentials.
“It’s a great list, to be mentioned with those [multiple winners] is an honor,” Rodgers said at a press conference a er he received his second MVP award in 2014. “Like I said, Peyton, he set the gold standard, [he] and Tom Brady as far as quarterback play in my generation, and Peyton’s won it five times. at’s incredible.
“But twice is nice. It just means that there’s been some consistent play, and that’s what I’ve prided myself on and a consistent approach every week and good preparation and making the plays that my teammates expect me to make.”
ree Packers quarterbacks, three Super Bowl champions.
It’s not Titletown without them.