Michael Vick, former NFL QB, once said, “Everybody wishes they could be an NFL quarterback. You get all the notoriety, you get paid all the money.” And you know what? He’s not wrong. In the NFL world, QBs are nothing less than rock stars. We follow their every single move, like Sherlock Holmes, on the quest to find Dr. James Moriarty. And it’s certainly not limited to the gridiron. Almost every kid growing up has that dream – to make himself known in sports. It’s a testament to how much we invent in sports programs all over the world. But Packers QB legend Brett Favre believes there’s more to life than just sports.

Brett Favre has always been big on helping people. Through his Favre 4 Hope Foundation, he supports “charitable organizations whose focus is to provide support for disadvantaged children who reside in Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.” As Favre had said in one interview, if it wasn’t for football, he would have gravitated towards special education. “My father was a coach and a driver’s ed teacher, and my mother was a special education teacher for a long time. Had I not been a pro football player, I would have been a coach and a teacher, and I felt my calling would have been more suited to be in special education.” And after retirement, he is certainly heading straight in that direction.

As per Brett Favre’s latest IG post, he recently attended a special needs community event in Houston. The post features a clip of Favre with the community members, singing an endearing “You’ve got a friend in me.” The post also features a lot of pictures of Brett enjoying happy moments with the members. As Favre put it in a 7-word message: “It’s a blast hanging out with them.” He also added that he had been going to this event in Houston for seven years now. That’s now dedicated to the special needs community.

He also doubled down by writing, “I learn far more from them than they do me…” As Brett continues to give back and be a part of this community, this reminds us of a very simple thing. True NFL leadership isn’t just about how a QB leads his team on the field. It’s also about how you show up for the little things that matter the most. This guy’s an MVP. Both on and off the field. 

Earlier to this, he sent a message to the parents of young athletes.

From the field: Brett Favre’s words to parents of young athletes

Brett Favre took to X on Sunday to share a big wake-up call. He reposted Matt Birk’s post, which had some bitter truths every parent needs to hear. The original post went, “Here’s a hard truth a lot of parents need to hear: Your kid is not going D1.” Going into D1 sports is a dream that many kids have. More often than not, it’s a dream they get from their parents’ encouragement and support. But when competition calls, skills are all that matter. And only the best can stand at the top. But it’s not all bad.

The post goes on to add, “That’s ok. Says nothing about his or her character. And nothing about you as a parent. So just relax and enjoy watching your kid play. Not everyone is so fortunate.” Brett Favre agreed with a “Well said, Matt!!” and the sobering reality hit home.

Do you remember Fight Club? Brad Pitt’s humbling words come to mind here. “We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’ll be millionaires, and movie gods, and rockstar. But we won’t.” Coming from a Super Bowl champ, Brett Favre’s wake-up call hits a little closer to home than Brad Pitt for sure. And many veterans have shown us there’s a life outside of football, outside of sports. There are families, friends, exciting careers, and a whole world of possibilities. So Favre wants parents not to get hung up on a sports dream if it doesn’t come true for their kids.

Brett Favre isn’t just dropping hard truth bombs this week. He’s also doing his part in his life outside of football, which we talked about. While the rest of the world was enjoying a quiet evening, Brett Favre showed up for the community in a big way.