Brett Favre was a guest on The Tonight Show Thursday, last appearing some 13 years ago. The 40-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback backpedaled when he was presented with a gold retirement watch by show host Jay Leno, though he was more than happy to pocket the timepiece.
Favre said, “Well Jay, it’s only been a month, and I know now that I’m just not going to say anything anytime soon, just going to kind of sit back, relax, enjoy the off-season.”
Jay managed to bring up a subject that the NFL athlete would prefer not to have discussed. When asked if the NFC Championship defeat by the New Orleans Saints still upsets him, Favre told Leno: “I think it will for a long time. Obviously had we gone to the Super Bowl that would have been icing on the cake, but it was still way better than even I could have dreamed of. I’ve told people I really believe my biggest accomplishment this year was winning over the majority of the Vikings fans. For so many years I was hated.”
Back in Minnesota, Vikings coach Brad Childress has been hounded by the media, who want to know if his star quarterback will be returning for the second year of his contract. He finally provided this soundbite last Friday: “Four weeks and change, he’s still healing up from that game. He’s kind of earned that latitude.”
Favre did let slip the fact that his family was really in L.A. for the Disney wrap of the popular Hannah Montana series. His entourage included his wife, 10-year-old daughter, mother-in-law and his family priest.
View the Leno video below: