As Brett Favre begins his well-deserved retirement, Onion Sports takes a last fond look at the moments that made him the most beloved athlete in recent memory:
July 14, 1990: After being involved in a near-fatal car accident, Favre has 30 inches of his small intestine removed, magically unlocking his hidden passing ability
Oct. 31, 1994: Favre whips a 10-yard pass to Robert Brooks with such force that it carries the receiver past the Bears secondary and 89 yards into the end zone
Dec. 24, 1995: Three Steelers defensive players tackle Favre as he scrambles toward the end zone; staggering to the sidelines, he vomits blood, 72 ounces of Blatz, four half-digested Vicodin, and a clump of sod before returning to the field and vomiting a 1-yard touchdown pass
Jan. 11, 1997: Favre is honored with his third NFL MVP award, although the honor is partially intercepted by Barry Sanders
Dec. 24, 2000: Favre throws for 289 yards and two touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite having a six-foot steel girder protruding from his abdomen
Jan. 6, 2002: Favre insists he did not let Michael Strahan have the sack record on purpose, explaining that “Curl Into A Ball Right” has always been in the Packer playbook
Dec. 22, 2003: While playing the best game of his career against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football the day after the death of his father, Favre realizes that all it takes to be your best is to have the worst possible thing happen in your life
April 4, 2004: Hair immediately turns gray after being frightened by ghost of Reggie White
Aug. 15, 2005: When the NFL outlaws playing with joy, exuberance, and enthusiasm, Favre is given a veteran’s exemption and allowed to enjoy himself in games
Nov. 18, 2007: With a short underhand toss to running back Ryan Grant, Favre becomes the NFL’s all-time leader with 15,000 shovel-passing yards
March 4, 2008: Moments after announcing his retirement, Favre enters a glass display case at the NFL Hall of Fame, where he can currently be seen
