There might not be another player in the NFL today who's as widely identified with one team as Brett Favre. To millions of fans and collectors, Favre didn't just play quarterback for the Green Bay Packers - he was the Green Bay Packers.
Favre earned that distinction by starting every game and taking almost every snap since 1992. It almost didn't happen though, as his standout career at Southern Mississippi ended with his selection in the second round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. When it quickly became apparent he wasn't in the team's plans, he was dealt to the Packers before his second NFL season.
The rest is literally history. Favre has won Super Bowls, MVP awards and earned numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. He's won more games that any quarterback in NFL history, owns bunches of passing records and has a pretty good chance of owning more career marks before he calls it a career.
But Favre's appeal to collectors goes beyond the numbers. His sheer moxie and willingness to attempt throws no other QB would dare try have won him many admirers. And while his freewheeling style hasn't served him quite as well in the later stages of his career - he threw more interceptions than touchdowns between 2005 and 2006 - it hasn't seemed to diminish his love of the game.
That became apparent during the summer of 2008. Months after tearfully announcing his retirement, Favre had a change of heart and applied for reinstatement to the NFL. But the Packers had installed Aaron Rodgers as the starter and drafted a pair of quarterbacks, making them reluctant to accept him back. After a stalemate that lasted for several days, the Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets, where he'll try to author a happy ending to his storied career.
The production levels of the early 90's make Favre's rookie cards a downright steal. Several of them can be found for under $10, though that may not be the case whenever he gets his well-deserved call to Canton. His most valuable rookie is his Stadium Club # 94, which is a famous uncorrected error card that spells his last name phonetically (Farve) instead of the proper way.
Brett Favre 1991 Rookie Cards
- Action Packed Rookie Update # 21
- Pacific # 551
- Pro Set # 762
- Pro Set Platinum # 290
- Score # 611
- Stadium Club # 94
- Ultra # 283
- Upper Deck # 13