What do you think?
Favre
Just one day after losing his father, Irvin Favre, to a heart attack and fatal car crash, Brett Favre took the field for a Monday Night Football game against the notorious Oakland Raiders. Even with the Green Bay Packers clinging to a slim chance for a playoff spot, his teammates and his adopted city didn’t expect Brett to suit up.
Big Irv was the game to Brett. As his coach at Hancock North Central High School in Kiln, Mississippi, Irv taught Brett the importance of execution, precision, and sacrifice. He rarely let Brett throw the ball; rather, he had him lead the run-oriented wishbone offense, which required him to handoff and then block for his teammates. When no major college had any interest in Brett as a quarterback, Irv got the University of Southern Mississippi to give him a shot as a defensive back. And when Brett did the impossible at Southern Miss–moving from defense to the team’s starting quarterback his freshman year–Irv was there the whole way.
Prior to the Raider game, Favre had started an exhausting 189 games straight (an NFL record) and was nursing a broken finger on his throwing hand since the early weeks of the 2003 season. Rumors of his retirement circulated among the press–he was in his thirteenth year–and while no one said it out loud, most commentators believed Brett was a shadow of his former self.
But what happened in the Oakland twilight on December 22, 2003, is the stuff of NFL legend. Brett Favre sealed his reputation as one of the greatest football players in history.
“I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play,” he said after throwing for just under 400 hundred yards and four touchdowns to rout the Raiders. “I love him so much, and I love this game. It meant a great deal to me, to my dad, and to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching.”
FAVRE is a dazzling tribute to the roller-coaster football life of Brett Favre, with personal family photos and remembrances, stunning four-color action shots, and inspiring stories of a lifelong love affair with the all-American game.
Big Irv was the game to Brett. As his coach at Hancock North Central High School in Kiln, Mississippi, Irv taught Brett the importance of execution, precision, and sacrifice. He rarely let Brett throw the ball; rather, he had him lead the run-oriented wishbone offense, which required him to handoff and then block for his teammates. When no major college had any interest in Brett as a quarterback, Irv got the University of Southern Mississippi to give him a shot as a defensive back. And when Brett did the impossible at Southern Miss–moving from defense to the team’s starting quarterback his freshman year–Irv was there the whole way.
Prior to the Raider game, Favre had started an exhausting 189 games straight (an NFL record) and was nursing a broken finger on his throwing hand since the early weeks of the 2003 season. Rumors of his retirement circulated among the press–he was in his thirteenth year–and while no one said it out loud, most commentators believed Brett was a shadow of his former self.
But what happened in the Oakland twilight on December 22, 2003, is the stuff of NFL legend. Brett Favre sealed his reputation as one of the greatest football players in history.
“I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play,” he said after throwing for just under 400 hundred yards and four touchdowns to rout the Raiders. “I love him so much, and I love this game. It meant a great deal to me, to my dad, and to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching.”
FAVRE is a dazzling tribute to the roller-coaster football life of Brett Favre, with personal family photos and remembrances, stunning four-color action shots, and inspiring stories of a lifelong love affair with the all-American game.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 16, 2016
This book was sitting on my family's coffee table. I initially started picking it up to look at the pictures, but then started to read. I needed to read a book for English class, so I finished it. I remember thinking how different it was from a fiction book because the prose was rough. It was a new experience for me.
May 22, 2017
Still a fave of mine but maybe the tarnished star has lowered my expectations
January 3, 2019
I found it interesting to find out about Brett Favre's life. He had a great career with the Green Bay Packers. He even won a couple of super bowls. That's impressive to me.
What was really interesting is how he played a game right after his dad passed away and that was one of the best games that he ever played. I think he played that game for his which is why he played his best.
Brett is the type of person who does not like to waste time. He always liked to get things done right away so they were done. I believe that is why he is one the best quarterbacks that Green Bay has ever hired. He was such great player, that he broke the passing yards record.
People say to that he was an all around great guy. Someone that you would want to be friends with.
I know I would!
What was really interesting is how he played a game right after his dad passed away and that was one of the best games that he ever played. I think he played that game for his which is why he played his best.
Brett is the type of person who does not like to waste time. He always liked to get things done right away so they were done. I believe that is why he is one the best quarterbacks that Green Bay has ever hired. He was such great player, that he broke the passing yards record.
People say to that he was an all around great guy. Someone that you would want to be friends with.
I know I would!
Read
April 4, 2022I am a 14 year old student who is currently reading this book for class. My personal thoughts about this book are that it is very informational and it has some interesting stories. I would recommend this book for people my age because it is an interest that most people share and it teaches you some needed life lessons. The book is about Brett Farve and how recovered from addiction to pain meds and how he became so successful. The main character is Brett Farve, a very interesting man. The book is interesting because he talks about his struggle with addiction and the stories that he gained from it.
May 21, 2026
Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers were my very favorite team -- and even though Brett has retired I still cheer for them. My family knew I loved watching Brett play -- actually attended one of his last second miracle wins. Loved the book which they gave me!
January 19, 2026
One might consider that the book "Favre" is literally a family affair. That's correct. While the former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Brett Favre wrote the lion's share of this memoir, his mother Bonita, father Irvin, wife Deanna and three sports personalities each contributed their own chapter to this book.
"Favre" was dedicated in memory to Irvin "Big Irv" Favre, and Brett begins Chapter One talking about "Family" (both his actual family and those he played with on the gridiron) and to some, the biggest game of his NFL career. The Green Bay Packers were playing an away game against the Oakland Raiders on December 22, 2003. The day before Brett got a phone call that nobody wishes to receive: His father Irvin died suddenly of a heart attack at age 58. Though Brett could've flown home to Mississippi to be with his family, he opted to stay in Oakland and play the Raiders. It was a unanimous decision plus Irv would've wanted his son to play.
The Raider Nation has been known as a rough place for away teams to play. Their fans tend to boo and be rough with the visiting teams and their fans. But this time both sides understood what it's like to lose a loved one. Brett Favre received a standing ovation from the Raider Nation, and several banners had kind thoughts directed at him.
Known as "The Gunslinger", Brett Favre played one of his best games ever--throwing for four touchdowns and 399 yards. The Packers won 41 to 7 that night, and a game ball was dedicated in memory of Big Irv. The rivalry between Green Bay and Oakland might be considered their best game since Super Bowl II itself! (The Packers beat the Raiders 33 to 14 in January of 1968.)
Brett follows with chapters called "Comeback", "Toughness" and on his championship victory in Super Bowl XXXI. With several record-breaking seasons with Green Bay and in the NFL, he had to force himself to rise above his injuries he sustained on the football field. Yet Brett never seemed to lose his enthusiasm for the game. It's mostly obvious with the Super Bowl XXXI victory down in New Orleans. While kick-returner Desmond Howard ran for a 99-yard kickoff return for a score and walked off with the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, Packer fans can't forget when Favre tossed two long touchdown passes to Andre Rison for 54 yards and to Antonio Freeman for 81 yards. (Brett also ran in a score to help seal the Packers' championship.)
Yet "Favre" shows us the back story of Brett Favre long before he became "The Gunslinger". Brett was the second of four children. He has an older brother Scott, a younger brother Jeff and a sister Brandi. Their father Irvin taught and coached at St. Johns before transferring to the (now defunct) North Central Hancock High School. (Ironically, on the day Brett was born, the Hancock Hawks defeated the St. John Eagles, 27 to 0! Irv began teaching at Hancock starting in 1971.) Bonita soon joined Irv at NCHHS where she taught special education. All four Favre children attended Hancock as well as assisted their mom in class during their free time.
It was never a surprise that Brett was always the competitor on the field. (He also played basketball and baseball.) Yet he was grateful to his father Irv, who coached the Hawks football team, and other coaches who'd mentored him. From Hancock High to Southern Mississippi to the NFL, Brett never forgot his teammates either. One thing readers would like is that, when he played for Southern Miss, his girlfriend (and later his wife) Deanna, mother Bonita and the Favre women all decked out in black and gold with the Number 4 for Brett's games.
"Favre" is a good read complete with a montage of photos of Brett not only on the road to gridiron glory but through all walks of his life. While the book ends after the Packers' 2003 season (with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Playoffs), it makes the readers wish that Favre concluded his career in Green Bay. Maybe if Brett could've beaten Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship game up at Lambeau Field then defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, then the Gunslinger could've walked off into the sunset at the top of his game like John Elway did in 1999 and Peyton Manning (Eli's brother) did following Super Bowl 50. Coulda, woulda, shoulda!!!
One last thing: "Favre" gives recognition to those who sported the Green and Gold before Brett did. From the 1960's, names like Bart Starr, Boyd Dowler, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke and their fearless leader Coach Vince Lombardi were a team to be reckoned with. Favre also pays tribute to defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, who died of cancer in 1999, and to linebacker Wayne Simmons who was killed in an auto accident in 2002. It's a good read for any Packers fan and great for collecting their favorite player's autograph. Plus there's an additional CD included in the book!
Rating: ****
"Favre" was dedicated in memory to Irvin "Big Irv" Favre, and Brett begins Chapter One talking about "Family" (both his actual family and those he played with on the gridiron) and to some, the biggest game of his NFL career. The Green Bay Packers were playing an away game against the Oakland Raiders on December 22, 2003. The day before Brett got a phone call that nobody wishes to receive: His father Irvin died suddenly of a heart attack at age 58. Though Brett could've flown home to Mississippi to be with his family, he opted to stay in Oakland and play the Raiders. It was a unanimous decision plus Irv would've wanted his son to play.
The Raider Nation has been known as a rough place for away teams to play. Their fans tend to boo and be rough with the visiting teams and their fans. But this time both sides understood what it's like to lose a loved one. Brett Favre received a standing ovation from the Raider Nation, and several banners had kind thoughts directed at him.
Known as "The Gunslinger", Brett Favre played one of his best games ever--throwing for four touchdowns and 399 yards. The Packers won 41 to 7 that night, and a game ball was dedicated in memory of Big Irv. The rivalry between Green Bay and Oakland might be considered their best game since Super Bowl II itself! (The Packers beat the Raiders 33 to 14 in January of 1968.)
Brett follows with chapters called "Comeback", "Toughness" and on his championship victory in Super Bowl XXXI. With several record-breaking seasons with Green Bay and in the NFL, he had to force himself to rise above his injuries he sustained on the football field. Yet Brett never seemed to lose his enthusiasm for the game. It's mostly obvious with the Super Bowl XXXI victory down in New Orleans. While kick-returner Desmond Howard ran for a 99-yard kickoff return for a score and walked off with the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, Packer fans can't forget when Favre tossed two long touchdown passes to Andre Rison for 54 yards and to Antonio Freeman for 81 yards. (Brett also ran in a score to help seal the Packers' championship.)
Yet "Favre" shows us the back story of Brett Favre long before he became "The Gunslinger". Brett was the second of four children. He has an older brother Scott, a younger brother Jeff and a sister Brandi. Their father Irvin taught and coached at St. Johns before transferring to the (now defunct) North Central Hancock High School. (Ironically, on the day Brett was born, the Hancock Hawks defeated the St. John Eagles, 27 to 0! Irv began teaching at Hancock starting in 1971.) Bonita soon joined Irv at NCHHS where she taught special education. All four Favre children attended Hancock as well as assisted their mom in class during their free time.
It was never a surprise that Brett was always the competitor on the field. (He also played basketball and baseball.) Yet he was grateful to his father Irv, who coached the Hawks football team, and other coaches who'd mentored him. From Hancock High to Southern Mississippi to the NFL, Brett never forgot his teammates either. One thing readers would like is that, when he played for Southern Miss, his girlfriend (and later his wife) Deanna, mother Bonita and the Favre women all decked out in black and gold with the Number 4 for Brett's games.
"Favre" is a good read complete with a montage of photos of Brett not only on the road to gridiron glory but through all walks of his life. While the book ends after the Packers' 2003 season (with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Playoffs), it makes the readers wish that Favre concluded his career in Green Bay. Maybe if Brett could've beaten Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship game up at Lambeau Field then defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, then the Gunslinger could've walked off into the sunset at the top of his game like John Elway did in 1999 and Peyton Manning (Eli's brother) did following Super Bowl 50. Coulda, woulda, shoulda!!!
One last thing: "Favre" gives recognition to those who sported the Green and Gold before Brett did. From the 1960's, names like Bart Starr, Boyd Dowler, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke and their fearless leader Coach Vince Lombardi were a team to be reckoned with. Favre also pays tribute to defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, who died of cancer in 1999, and to linebacker Wayne Simmons who was killed in an auto accident in 2002. It's a good read for any Packers fan and great for collecting their favorite player's autograph. Plus there's an additional CD included in the book!
Rating: ****
September 13, 2011
Favre by Brett Favre is a biography about the life and times of the legendary and recently retired quarterback Brett Favre. The book focuses on Brett's family tragedies, failures on the field, as his biggest accomplishments. Unlike most quarterbacks Brett Favre has had to deal with several tragedies such as the passing of his father and his wife's battle with cancer. Not only was Brett Favre's game unaffected by these misfortunes but he actually improved the following game and season. A great example of Favre's persevearence and larger than life personality is the monday night football game immediately following the death of his father. Brett should have taken several weeks off to recooperate but instead he played the game of his life. Favre threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 domination of Oakland. For his valiant effort Favre won an ESPY award and received lots of respect from players and fans. Favre's endurance and charisma has not been matched by any quarterback in NFL history. Despite all his sucesses Favre remained a humble guy giving back to the community and enjoying his time on the field. After reading this book you will know about the legend of Brett Favre, his momentous achievements, and why he was loved as a player of the game.
October 11, 2012
A. 246 pages
B. Sports and Games
C. Favre is about Brett Favre and his football career. Brett Favre went through a lot to get to where he is and was in his career. He was addicted to a pain killer when he was in the NFL. His wife considered leaving him many times. Although she decided to stay because of what she thought he would do if she wasn't there. He was league MVP a few times and was amazing at quarterback. This book shows how much of a legend Brett Favre was in the NFL. This book shows a lot of what Brett has done and that a lot of people say they want to be him. Although most people don't know what it took to be the man behind the perfect picture.
D. I thought this was a great book and thatblotsof people should read it. It's great and shows that Favre is a real legend.
B. Sports and Games
C. Favre is about Brett Favre and his football career. Brett Favre went through a lot to get to where he is and was in his career. He was addicted to a pain killer when he was in the NFL. His wife considered leaving him many times. Although she decided to stay because of what she thought he would do if she wasn't there. He was league MVP a few times and was amazing at quarterback. This book shows how much of a legend Brett Favre was in the NFL. This book shows a lot of what Brett has done and that a lot of people say they want to be him. Although most people don't know what it took to be the man behind the perfect picture.
D. I thought this was a great book and thatblotsof people should read it. It's great and shows that Favre is a real legend.
September 10, 2012
“Favre” is a book written by Brett Favre himself. It starts when Brett was a child growing up in rural Mississippi to being an MVP quarterback in the National Football League. Brett tells about some of his biggest challenges and some of his most memorable moments. I would recommend this book to football fans and high school/college players who want a little inspiration. This book is my favorite book because it is interesting from beginning to end. My favorite part of the book is when Brett is telling about the Monday night game after his dad had passes away.
January 19, 2008
Read and finished during the two playoff games...the exciting victory over the Seahawks and the depressing loss to the Giants....Overall a good book on a great quarterback and a great season....4 stars for #4 !!!!
November 22, 2010
Needs to be updated but a great book about the legend while he was with the Packers. Since this book was read and written his stardom has been tarnished but but if you want to learn about his time before things went down hill look no further. Great for his fans and detractors alike.
Read
October 15, 2007DVD of "In Their Own Words: Brett Favre" was great.
Want to Read
February 4, 2008'Cause my family is Wisconsin folk and Brett is the best.
April 17, 2008
Good book, learned a lot about Favre, the dvd was nice too.
January 21, 2009
Really good book!
July 16, 2009
This book helps you see that Favre is King!
January 24, 2013
I thought that it was great. And Brett is going to the hall of fame.
January 27, 2014
Will always be a fan no matter what.
April 26, 2014
My Brett -Simply Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews