First published 2014
Jeff Pearlman chronicles the complete life story of Brett Favre, the legendary quarterback who dominated professional football for two decades. Drawing from over five hundred interviews with those who knew Favre best, Pearlman traces his subject's path from an unremarkable high school player in rural Mississippi to his final scholarship opportunity at Southern Mississippi. The biography follows Favre through a near-fatal car accident, his NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and his transformative years with the Green Bay Packers, where he led the team to two Super Bowls and one championship while breaking numerous league records. Pearlman also examines Favre's personal struggles with addiction, infidelity, and the death of his father, culminating in his difficult departure from professional football. The book presents an unvarnished portrait of a complex athlete whose career encompassed both remarkable achievements and significant personal challenges, offering readers a comprehensive look at one of football's most iconic figures.
Genres: biography, sports, football, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, redemption-arc
Setting: Atlanta, Green Bay, Mississippi
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
432 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Content warnings: addiction, death