It was all smiles, jubilation and two-minutes long ovations at a packed Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers inducted former quarterback Brett Favre into their team Hall of Fame and retired his storied No. 4 in a Saturday ceremony.
While Favre, 45, who hasn't been at Lambeau since 2010 when he came out on the losing end of a contest between his former team and his then-franchise, the rival Minnesota Vikings, indicated recently during an interview with Greg Bishop of SI.com that he believes he could still play, he sounded very much like a man happy to have hung his cleats up and even happier to mend fences with the fans and front office in Green Bay, the NFL organization he grew up with and would eventually spend 16 years and win three NFL MVPs and one Super Bowl with.
"She comes home and uncharacteristically says, 'Hey Dad, did you hear they sold 67,000 tickets in an hour and a half?'" Favre recalled at the ceremony, via ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "And I said, 'Yeah.' She goes, 'They must really like you.' And for her, that's saying a lot. But it really says a lot about the whole situation. If there were ever any doubts prior to the tickets going on sale, there's not anymore. And what a way to show that you're welcomed back into the family. Just what an honor.
"And I'll be honest with you, I mean no disrespect by this: I am more honored by that than by the Hall of Fame induction in itself. I think that is such a tribute to the fans, and that's why Green Bay is Green Bay. Simple as that."
Check out all the tweets and reactions, some from the man himself, below...
So, this is something ... pic.twitter.com/v6qdSN43EE
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) July 18, 2015
Ready to make an entrance. #FavreHOF pic.twitter.com/p8W0OwnFMp — Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 18, 2015
#WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/vm2dc7AjU0
— Kyle Cousineau (@KCousineau09) July 18, 2015
Lambeau Field is ready for Favre. #FavreHOF pic.twitter.com/0RChsQRqjC — Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 18, 2015
Fans chanting, "M-V-P! M-V-P!" at Favre. pic.twitter.com/Hk0v8is1mw
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) July 18, 2015
Here was Favre's entrance to @LambeauField. About a 2 1/2 minute ovation followed. pic.twitter.com/SXyq60EJDA — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) July 18, 2015
Brett Favre's family on the @LambeauField grass. Wife Deanna, their daughters, his mother Bonita, agent Bus Cook. pic.twitter.com/6PuSm5pFIF
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) July 18, 2015
Favre wasn't expecting to get emotional. He was wrong. pic.twitter.com/gJXIFC0Ymo — Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) July 18, 2015
Favre: I've played elsewhere. There is no place like this place. Where else can you get this many people when there's no game?
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) July 18, 2015
"Throwing a TD at Lambeau Field, running out of that tunnel...there's nothing like it on this earth." #FavreHOF pic.twitter.com/ipiyiavJQK — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 19, 2015
"I've also run out of that other (visitor's) tunnel...and it was scary. I'd much rather run out of that (home) tunnel" - @Favre4Official
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 19, 2015
