Brett Favre said Saturday night that his selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame exceeded the dreams he had as a youngster.
Favre was tabbed as part of the **eight-member Class of 2016** on the eve of Super Bowl 50 and said he was honored. He finished his distinguished 20-year career as the Vikings starting QB for two seasons (2009-10), leading Minnesota to the 2009 NFC North title and NFC Championship.
The selection gave Favre, whom current Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater watched and admired during Bridgewater's youth, an opportunity to reflect on his career and moments that led to it. Favre spoke during a press conference and separately with Vikings.com's Scott Kegley.
"I was really already honored to have an opportunity to play in the NFL because as a kid, all I ever dreamed of was to play pro football, to be Roger Staubach or Archie Manning," Favre said during his press conference. "That's what I dreamed about. I hated Terry Bradshaw, which I told him that, and he's OK now, but that's all I dreamed of. I didn't dream of all the other stuff so it's been way more than I ever could have imagined, so I'm extremely thankful for it."
Kegley asked Favre about the 2009 season in which he threw for 4,202 yards (fourth-most in franchise history) and 33 touchdowns.
"It's probably one of the best years I've ever had overall, just how I played, all things considered," Favre said. "Not like I felt like I needed validation or acceptance or whatever, but if you play, it's kind of like [Broncos QB] Peyton [Manning], a lot of people doubt, no matter what. They're in the Super Bowl and he's still being doubted. You never lose that competitive nature and feeling."
Favre said the 2009 Vikings had a "great mix" of some crafty veterans and younger players.
"We had a little bit of everything, and it was almost the right mix," Favre said. "It was a lot of fun. It was a short, brief time in my career, but most of those guys, I had played against for quite a while — didn't particularly like playing against them, but it was neat to play with them.
"You get to play with a guy like Adrian Peterson, what a talent," Favre continued. "To see that first-hand was incredible. I see Jared Allen in the Super Bowl, I had a great time playing with him, and the list goes on and on."
Earlier, Peterson was named **FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year** after leading the league with 1,485 rushing yards and tying for the most rushing touchdowns (11) in 2015. It was the third rushing title of Peterson's nine pro seasons.
