The Jets almost had Brett Favre. I am not talking about the old guy they ended up with in 2008 who had an up and down season. I am not talking about the guy whose alleged exploits with Jenn Sterger continue to provide an unnecessary distraction. Gang Green almost took him in the 1991 NFL Draft.
Assistant general manager Ron Wolf coveted Favre. Because of his influence, the team tried to trade up to land him. The Jets could not, however, and Atlanta took Favre a pick before New York went on the clock in the second round. Instead of landing a future legend, Gang Green ended up with Louisville quarterback Browning Nagle. Nagle was a complete bust. He lasted 3 years in New York, started 13 games, completed under 50% of his passes, and threw 7 touchdowns against 17 interceptions.
Favre went on to rewrite the record books after Wolf became Green Bay's general manager and traded for Favre. The funny thing is not being drafted by the Jets might have saved Favre's career. Favre was a bit of a directionless guy coming out of college. He reportedly partied too much and did not work hard enough. There is a chance he would have fallen victim to the New York scene and neglected his craft on those mediocre Bruce Coslet teams. Favre was equally reckless on the field. That quality eventually endeared him to many, but Mike Holmgren was able to rein him in enough to succeed and motivate him to improve his work habits. This helped lead to his success.
Some guys like Peyton Manning are predestined to be successful. Other guys need to be in the right situation. Favre ended up in the right spot. New York might not have been the right place. Nowhere was the right place for Browning Nagle.
Are You Smarter Than The Experts?
Correctly predict the first 32 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft and you’ll win $10,000,000!
BEST ROUND EVER IN PRIMETIME
Enter at facebook.com/BudLight
Here We Go
Enjoy Responsibly ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO. ©2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. No Purchase Necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents (except CA) 21+. Contest begins 12AM CDT on 4/1 and ends 5:59:59PM CDT on 4/28. See Official Rules for complete details. Void where prohibited.