Over the Hill, or Just Beginning To Climb It?

With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, it happens. Brett Favre throws a beautiful pass to Greg Jennings right down the middle of the field for a 16-yard gain. Finally it had happened, Favre had thrown his 421st touchdown pass surpassing the previous NFL record of 420 set by Dan Marino. When asked how he felt about breaking the record, Favre said, "To win, and get this behind us, is a great feeling.” (Yahoo Sports).

Some say that at 38 years old, there’s no way someone should or could be still playing the rough sport we all know as professional football. Some say 38 is too old and that Favre should have retired a few years ago. But as I say, if ain’t broke don’t fix it. Favre may be getting up there in age, but he is by far one of the best quarterbacks in the league, still.

Favre has been in the league for 16 years, and the improvements and accomplishments he has made will be ones that are talked about throughout the league for years to come. Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991, Favres success was very limited. In fact there was no success at all. With the Falcons, Favre had five passing attempts with zero completions and two interceptions. Now that really is pitiful. Despite the lack of success Favre had in his first NFL season, the Packers traded their number one draft pick for Favre. Upon arrival, Favre did not even pass his physical for the Packers, but the coaches told the Doctors to pass him anyway.

Who would have known that trading a first round draft pick for a highly unsuccessful 22 year old kid, would later become the greatest decision the Packers franchise would ever make? Favre’s first chance to play with the packers would come in week two of the 1992 season. His chance to play was nothing special. He went in for just a few plays to give then starting quarterback Don Majkowski a breather. Then no one would have known that the following week would truly start Favre’s NFL career.

In the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 13, 1992, Don Majkowski got injured, forcing the Packers to replace him with none other that Brett Favre. The team was losing and the fans were booing, but this did not faze Favre. Determined to show everyone that he wasn’t just some kid from Mississippi, Favre came into the game with his head held high. Throughout the game, Favre overthrew many receivers digging the team into a 17-3 deficit. On the brink of losing the game, Favre started the fourth quarter as if it were the start of the game score still 0-0. The Packers ended up coming back to win the game 24-23, giving Favre his first ever NFL victory.

Throughout his career, Favre would go to numerous Pro Bowls, setting an NFC single season touchdown record of 38 and then 39 the following year, win numerous league MVP awards, and fight an addiction to painkillers after suffering from a broken ankle. Favre has attended two super bowls in 1997 and 1998, winning the first. Brett Favre has become won of the best quarterbacks in the leagues history and is definitely Hall of Fame material. Favre continues to improve season after season and even at his “old” age is a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.

Small Town Team Wins One for the Ages

Before Sept 1, 2007 most people would not have been able to point out Boone, North Carolina on a map. But now, after what is known as “The Upset in the Big House”, college football fans cannot stop talking about the team that beat the number five ranked Michigan Wolverines.

As you may know, the team I am talking about is none other than the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Before beating Michigan 34-32, the Mountaineers were just a little known team from North Carolina competing in Division 1-AA, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision.

The start of the 2007 season marked the Mountaineers 79^th year participating in college football, and even though after those 79 years as a program they were a little known team from North Carolina, does not mean that they never made a statement.

The 2005 and 2006 seasons for the Mountaineers were by far the most successful in the programs history, winning back-to-back national championships. Appalachian State currently has a 29 game win streak at home in Kidd Brewer Stadium, and continue to dominate their conference.

Appalachian State is known to produce great football players whom later go on to play in the National Football League (NFL). Players from Appalachian State who pursued careers in the NFL include; Dexter Coakley, Dino Hackett, Larry Hand, Jason Hunter, Mark Royals, John Settle, Matt Stevens, Troy Albea, and Daniel Wilcox. Numerous Mountaineers such as; DaVon Fowlkes, Wayne Smith, and Richie Williams, have also gone on to play in the Canadian Football League.

Going into the 2007 season with a season opener at Michigan in The Big House had to have been intimidating for the Mountaineers, but they showed no fear as they took the field. Led by head coach Jerry Moore, the Mountaineers held their own throughout the whole game against the nationally ranked, number five Wolverines. The Mountaineers sealed the deal as they blocked a last second Michigan field goal attempt to end the game. With the defeat of Michigan, the game quickly went into the record books as one of the greatest upsets of all time, and the 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers will forever be in the history books as the first ever division 1-AA football team to beat a nationally ranked division 1-A team since the two divisions split in 1978.