The career-ending sack of Brett Favre was the first time he'd been knocked out cold on the football field. The Minnesota Vikings were playing the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football," and the future Hall of Famer was so out of it that he couldn't remember who his team was playing.
Favre revealed those grisly details while appearing on "The Bob and Dan Show" on KTCK-AM in Dallas, according to ESPNWisconsin.com's Jason Wilde.
"My last play, actually the only time in my career when I was completely out. Ten to 15 seconds," Favre said Saturday. "Miserable night, the dome had collapsed, our season had gone from bad to worse. I didn't have to play in the game, wanted to. I remember telling myself in pregame, 'You're an idiot. What do you stand to gain in this?' But I thought, 'I'll survive this game, I'll be fine.'
"(It was) one of the most minor hits I've ever (taken). The guy didn't even hit me, he pushed me. I threw the ball, and the field of course was solid ice, it was like concrete. He pushed me, I slip, fall, nothing hurt, I hit the left side of my head, and the next thing I remember, I was snoring as our trainer is kind of shaking me, saying, 'Are you OK?' I look at the footage, even though it wasn't long, there was that 10-, 15-second period where I was asleep.
"I remember looking at our trainer, Suge (Eric Sugarman), and saying, 'Suge, what are the Bears doing here?' He's like, 'Ah, you come over here with me, buddy.' As I started figuring it out as I was getting to the sidelines, I thought, 'Now, if there was ever a time where the writing is on the wall, this is it.' "
It wasn't all that long ago when a player might have tried talking himself back on the field after shaking away the cobwebs. We now have a much better understanding of the risks associated with concussions.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
