Now the other big story for the Packers today,
their top draft pick Aaron Rodgers made his
first appearance in Green Bay.
12 sports Andy Kendeigh has more on the quarterback
hoping to make Lambeau Field "Mr. Rogers'
Neighborhood."
The 2005 draft for the Green Bay Packers will
be remembered for one thing; that is for drafting
their quarterback of the future: Aaron Rodgers
out of California.
He's the quarterback that will someday replace
Brett Favre, and today Rodgers comes to his
new home for the first time.
To walk on a field where so many greats have
played, and where Brett Favre played who's
soon to be my teammate, it's just really awesome
knowing i'm gonna be running out of that tunnel
to the best fans in the country and playing
for America's team.
There's a few iconic spots, jobs if you will,
positions across sports, that have a different
feel to them - a different importance - based
on the place you play, the history there,
and your place within sports.
This is one of those places: quarterback of
the Green Bay Packers.
Obviously it's Brett's timetable, this is
Brett's team.
When he's ready to call it quits, he'll move
on and I'll step in, and when that time comes
I'll be ready.
Brett Favre wasn't even a first rounder, what
do you think you can learn from him?
Brett is an amazing quarterback and he's been
my favorite quarterback since Joe Montana
retired.
I just love his mental and physical toughness,
the way he plays the confidence level he plays
at, and I couldn't be more excited about the
guy I get to come in behind and learn from.
Favre was not nice to Rodgers at all - that
first year.
I don't think it was a situation where he
was real excited about a young rookie coming
in.
It was a tad disappointing to not be able
to be buddy-buddy with him right away, but
that's the nature of this league sometimes.
You get older and you realize they're always
trying to replace you.
I was never mad at him for being the quarterback,
that's the truth.
Drafting a quarterback in the first round
is a statement, we all know that.
I think that he was offended by it and wanted
to prove that he was still the best quarterback
on the team, in the league, and that I was
gonna be on the bench for awhile.
My contract doesn't say I gotta get Aaron
Rodgers ready to play.
Now hopefully he watches me and gets something
from that.
Rodgers walks into the cafeteria and Favre
is sitting there, he's the only one there,
and he says "Morning Grandpa!" to Favre.
Rodgers just lacked something that I think
a lot of us lack at 22, where you think you
are something but you just aren't there yet.
I was under the impression that after '05
that would be the last year, and after '06
that was gonna be the last year.
You talk about the durability, the personality,
the flare for the dramatic, Brett Favre, there
will never be another like him.
Well if it is my last game I want to remember
it.
I'm gonna miss these guys and miss the game.
I don't know what I'm leaning towards.
This may be it this year, it may be two years
down the road.
I mean for the last 7 years we've been talking
about when I was leaving.
Something's gotta give at some point.
Either I decide that enough is enough or they
do.
Years two and three were great.
We had a lot of fun together.
Won a lot of games and had some good times.
We had a conversation in 2006 where we just
sat in the quarterback room and talked for
a long time.
That was a special moment for me that I remember
where it felt like "okay, now this guy sees
me as a friend and a teammate."
You know this team somehow keeps winning.
I have no idea what we'll do the rest of the
year but it sure has been a hell of a ride
up to now.
They are two different quarterbacks.
You always hear about the gunslinger: Brett.
Aaron Rodgers... sharpshooter.
Seems like just yesterday we were here.
Well, I think we all
know why I'm here.
First of all, sorry I'm late, but...
I am officially retiring from the NFL and
the Green Bay Packers.
As they say all good things must come... come
to an end.
I wish Aaron well, I think he'll do a great
job.
He has the talent, he doesn't need-- you know,
I've heard it for the last three years that
"hopefully he's learned from Brett."
What that means I don't know.
He's his own player, his own style, and that's
what he needs to stick to.
I know everyone's made comments about "boy,
big shoes to fill..."
The only shoes he has to fill is himself.
He doesn't need to play like Brett Favre,
it's all about the cast around you, the coaching
staff, if you stay focused on the fact that
it's not about you...
And obviously they drafted him because he
has the talent, mental capabilities.
He'll be fine, and hopefully one day he's
sitting here where I am having been able to
experience what I've experienced.
It's almost like the president arriving in
Green Bay.
There's Diana Favre and you know not long
after her will be Brett Favre.
He is back with the Pack for a 17th season.
Is this a storm brewing between the Green
Bay Packers now that they have to decide between
Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.
Obviously the spring and summer of '08 was
difficult for all parties, myself included.
Would you welcome him back?
Me and Brett have never had a problem so there
wouldn't be any issues between us.
In March it looked like I was gonna be the
guy all the way through and now Brett's coming
back and I'm still the guy.
Until that changes that's my focus, and if
they do open up the competition I'm gonna
do my best and let the coaches decide.
That's something I wouldn't wish on a lot
of people, it's not a fun situation to be
in.
Having to get in front of 50 cameras every
week and answer the same questions was difficult...
and maybe a little bit unfair as well.
I was the guy caught in the middle of a struggle
and it was out of my control.
Football teams move forward, the train has
left the station.
To come out here everyday and to talk about
someone who is not here and then shows up,
it's gone on too long.
I'm tired of talking about it... it's over...
it's over.
It's over.
Thank y'all very much.
Giant news in the NFL and the sports world
altogether, Brett Favre traded from the Green
Bay Packers to the New York Jets for a conditional
fourth round pick.
The relationship got to a point where it couldn't
go forward... don't try to blame either side.
Obviously we weren't gonna trade him to a
divisional opponent so we wound up working
out a trade with the Jets.
I'm not a trader, I never will be.
It's a business.
I've always wanted to be a Packer, and I think
I always will be a Packer.
16 years is hard to forget for everyone.
Rodgers, wear the only place he's gonna take
you to is the toilet bowl... and then you
have Brett Favre who will take you to the
Super Bowl.
Yeah I hear you, I'm just saying we're not
gonna talk about that.
The fans... they weren't ready to move on.
The booing that took place when they saw Aaron...
To go out there and tell him not to comeback,
that's a slap in the face.
It's almost humiliating for him and he deserves
so much better than that.
I'm embarrassed at the way they treated Brett
when he came back to town.
I may go home and burn everything that says
Packers on it until something changes.
A couple people challenged to fight me...
threats on my life... people talking about
"I'm gonna break his arm" "I'm gonna break
his legs."
I just don't understand that when... how am
I the bad guy when all I've been doing is
preparing to be the starter, the guy retires,
I'm anointed the starter and I'm just trying
to be the start.
We're excited about being able to look forward
as a team now, we wish Brett nothing but the
best.
How do you replace Brett Favre?
It's like replacing Lou Gehrig.
The Packers believed in him and had the strength
and conviction to turn the page on arguably
the greatest and most likable player in Packers
history knowing that it was best for the franchise.
I'm thankful for an organization that stood
behind me and told the truth, and stuck to
their guns.
And that's all I could ask for, my teammates
stood beside me and... it was a difficult
time, it was, but I have no regrets about
the things that I said in front of the cameras
and the way I carried myself.
If you are going to replace a legendary Hall
of Fame quarterback, it's really good to have
an Aaron Rodgers to replace him.
