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Before joining our Access Vikings team, Dan Wiederer covered Atlantic Coast Conference basketball for the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer and was named North Carolina's top sports columnist in 2010. His previous reporting experience includes covering the Chicago Bears. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
Favre's ultimate ironman moment
Posted by: under Vikings, NFC, Packers, Vikings offense, Brett Favre, Ryan Longwell, Vikings quarterbacks Updated: November 26, 2009 - 6:46 PM
Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell has been around Brett Favre more than any other player in the Vikings locker room, having been teammates with the quarterback for nine seasons in Green Bay and again this year. Thus, Longwell seemed like the best guy to talk to about the fact Favre will tie Jim Marshall's NFL record on Sunday when he plays in his 282nd consecutive game.
As mentioned in today's story in the Star Tribune about Favre's remarkable streak, the Packers used to list the various injuries that he played through during his 16 seasons as that team's quarterback. By the time Favre left after the 2007 season, the franchise had documented 16 injuries in its media guide. But the one Favre seems to bring up most often when asked about the greatest threat to his ironman streak, and the one Longwell pointed to on Wednesday, was the broken thumb Favre suffered on his throwing hand on Oct. 19, 2003 in a loss at St. Louis.
Favre, who was hurt when his thumb connected with the shoulder pad of left guard Mike Wahle as he threw a pass, was extremely fortunate because the Packers had their bye the next weekend and that bought him some extra time. When the Packers returned the Monday after that bye to begin preparing for their next game, which was against the Vikings at the Metrodome, Favre was still wearing a splint on his thumb.
Favre, however, went out and completed 18 of 28 passes for 194 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in a victory over the Vikings. The Packers had been 3-4 entering that game but rallied to win seven of their last nine and captured the NFC North in memorable fashion. (You remember that whole Nate Poole catch in Arizona, right?)
"It was so swollen and the skin was so tight it looked like the thumb was exploding," Longwell said. "He couldn't grip a ball all week and then he would show up Sunday and throw and throw at full speed. I remember I want to say two or three weeks after he had broken it he threw a pass and hit a guy on the helmet on the follow through and the look on his face. I'll never forget. I thought that was it. Just the pain he was feeling. And then he went out the next drive and kept throwing it around."
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