I’d been in Green Bay for a long time. Nine years. I had a blast. We just kind of felt it was the time to change. There was a regime change in Green Bay. It was just one of those things where Minnesota came calling and we loved the new coach, loved the new ownership and just fell in love with the place instantly.
Brett (1) is one of the few guys that you see in the league nowadays that truly loves football. Take everything away from it –whether it’s the salary or the notoriety or the MVPs or the Super Bowls — he truly loves playing football. That’s why he’s so competitive. That’s why he keeps coming back. He’s just one of those guys who loves the game. His focus is incredible.
The best Brett story is definitely when I was in the locker room in my rookie year. It was just Ron Wolf (2) and Brett and myself. I was just walking through. Ron Wolf was dead serious, asking Brett, “What do I need to get this team over the top?” Talking personnel, obviously. And Brett, just as quick as can be, comes back with, “You know, what we could really use is a water softener in the shower.”
The first hero I really remember is Jason Hanson (3), who I kick against every year. He was at Washington State when I was in high school. He was the first guy I copied and learned who he was as a person off the field and tried to emulate. Football-wise, I think his demeanor was “Steady Eddie”— never too high, never too low, just always even-keel. Off the field, I knew he was a strong Christian, a very strong believer. I became a Christian in high school and wanted to follow those footsteps.
Faith is what makes me tick. It’s what holds our family together tight as can be. It gives me a perspective that we’ve been blessed to do what we do for a living.
Probably the most fun experience at Cal was my senior year when Mariucci (4) came to be the head coach. Just a guy that you wanted to do everything in your power to win for.
The biggest kick probably was the first one on “Monday Night Football” against the Bears.
It was in Lambeau Field and the Packers had just won the Super Bowl the year before, and it was my first game ever. It was a 38-yarder. That was at a stage in my career where you either do the job or you’re gone. It was pretty exciting to kick the first points of the season for the defending world champs.
In the grand scheme of things, the two biggest kicks I’ve made were, one, in the NFC championship game my rookie year, I kicked a 43-yarder at San Francisco against Mariucci and the Niners, the team that had cut me. It was a huge momentum swing going into halftime. Two, the Christmas Eve game at Minnesota when I kicked the game-winner to win the division.
My parents definitely stressed school. I would say strict as far as being a good person-“Please” and “Thank you,” getting your homework done, treating teachers with respect and doing the right thing. Whether that’s strict or just the way parents need to be, I don’t know. But they definitely raised me to do the right thing.
The best part of fatherhood is coming home after a game and the kids could care less whether you kicked a game-winner or you missed one. Doesn’t matter. They just want you to play with their toys.
I played a few holes with Tiger. His talent is phenomenal. His talent is off the charts. I hit the ball a long way, and he’s 50 yards past me. It’s just unbelievable. It’s hard to relate to a guy like him.
A last-second field goal, I know exactly where my leg is going to send the ball. Off the tee with a golf club in my hand, I’m not quite as confident where the ball’s going. So, I would say I’ll take a last-second field goal.
I’ve learned that you’d better have a lot more going on in your life than your job. In the NFL, you get a lot of recognition and a lot of notoriety, but if you live for that and feast off that, you’re going to be pretty empty when it’s all over.
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1-Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
2-Green Bay’s then-general manager.
3-Detroit Lions kicker.
4-Steve Mariucci, who went on to coach the 49ers and Lions.
