Favre: Playing on Thanksgiving ‘was a pinnacle’

For Brett Favre, playing on playing on Thanksgiving was always one of the highlights of his long and illustrious career.

“Especially as my career got further and further into my latter years,” Favre explained to Bruce Murray during his regular appearance on the SiriusXM Blitz. “To me, it was a pinnacle, other than the Super Bowl, of any player … of playing on true prime time, whether it be Monday night and Sunday night was not real big until later in my career as well as Thursday night.

‘I really looked forward to those games’

“But Thanksgiving and Monday night, everyone was watching. And, to me, that’s what it was all about. I really looked forward to those games.”

One of Favre’s more memorable Thanksgiving appearances as a member of the Green Bay Packers came against the Dallas Cowboys in 1994. That was when the Cowboys’ third-string quarterback, Jason Garrett, filling in because starter Troy Aikman and No. 2 QB Rodney Peete were out with thumb injuries, threw for 311 yards and two touchdown passes to rally the Cowboys to a 42-31 victory against the Packers.

‘I felt it was our one chance to beat Dallas in Dallas’

Favre ended up throwing for 257 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort.

“I remember it very well,” he said. “It seemed like every year we lost to Dallas to end our season, first of all, and this was, I felt like, it was our one chance to beat Dallas in Dallas and, I hate to say it, because Troy was not quarterbacking. And I think most people felt that way.

‘Jason outplayed me, he played outstanding’

“Had you told me prior to the game that I was going to play as well as I did and Troy would not be in the game, of course we’re going to win. But far from it. Jason outplayed me, he played outstanding, and we just couldn’t stop him. And, so, I think about that game probably more than any of the Thanksgiving games. It just goes to show you, you never know.”