He has faced hard hits, addiction, family deaths and his wife's cancer, and he just keeps getting up for the challenges.
By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
Published January 7, 2005
There is stubble on Brett Favre's head.
About a month ago, one of the NFL's toughest players gave himself a buzz cut to support his wife, Deanna, whose long brown hair had begun to fall out during chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Though Deanna had no choice, Favre thought his shaggy pate might help his wife cope with the frustrating side effect.
And Favre knows coping.
The NFL's ironman quarterback has played through all manner of injuries to start a record-setting 205 consecutive regular-season games. But the pain of shoulder separations, deep thigh bruises and broken thumbs is nothing compared to the heartache Favre has endured the past 13 months.
"I take a tremendous amount of pride in what I do. I always have," said Favre, who leads the Packers into a wild-card playoff game Sunday against the Vikings. "I think at times like this I even take more. Challenges, I've always risen up to the challenge."
Lately, they have come from every direction.
In December 2003, Favre's father, "Big Irv," died of a heart attack. A day later, Favre completed 22 of 30 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns to beat the Raiders on Monday Night Football .
This season, the Packers started 1-4. In October, Deanna's brother, Casey Tynes, was killed in an all-terrain-vehicle accident on Favre's property in Mississippi. A few days later came Deanna's diagnosis.
Deanna underwent an outpatient procedure to remove a lump in her breast at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. On a Monday, Favre flew with Deanna and her sister, Christie, to New York to get her settled. He returned to Green Bay in time for the week's first practice on Wednesday.
Deanna was scheduled for three months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation as a follow-up to surgery. The Favres are optimistic because the cancer was detected in an early stage.
"Professional athletes are not immune to tragic circumstances and cancer, whatever," Favre said in his first news conference after Deanna's illness became public. "And I think we - I say we, the athlete - sometimes think we are.
"But this just goes to show that we're not different from anyone else. I've never found myself saying, "Why me?' or "Why us?' It takes too much time and it doesn't matter anyway, because it is what it is and you deal with it the best way possible, and that's what we're trying to do."
With football as his escape, the three-time league MVP has responded with some of his best play. Since a 47-28 loss to the Titans on Oct.11, Favre has completed 65 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Packers won six straight and nine of 11 to win the NFC North for the third straight season.
News of Deanna's illness rekindled talk of Favre retiring, but Favre said he received strict orders from his wife not to give up football because of her.
"I like doing what I do and having to deal with these personal issues makes it more difficult, but I still love doing what I do," Favre said.
Deanna has been at Favre's side through difficult times. Before they were married, she nearly left him because of his drinking and carousing. In 1996, after spending 45 days in a rehabilitation center to overcome an addiction to painkillers, Favre led the Packers to a Super Bowl victory. He has been sober eight years.
The Favres, who have two daughters, 15-year-old Brittany and 5-year-old Breleigh, have dealt with some very private issues in the public eye thanks to his 14-year NFL career.
"Everything that he has gone through, his wife has gone through," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "I'm not so sure who is the toughest one in that family. She's the unknown, unsung hero in that relationship. She's every bit as much a hero as he is in that family."
In fact, it was Deanna who helped Favre at first by telling him there was no use dwelling on the sorrow, that life cannot be lived in the rearview mirror.
"Until it happens to you, you don't know how to deal with it," Favre said. "You always say, "Man, it's terrible what he's had to go through or she's had to go through.' Or you say the same things that everyone else says, "I don't know how they do it, it's got to be so difficult.'
"But then when it happens to your family, you're faced with the utmost of adversity, but you find a way to deal with it. Life goes on, as difficult as it may seem at times. Life goes on and you'll be left in the rearview mirror if you don't step up and deal with it."
