Brett Favre broke Jim Marshall’s NFL record for consecutive career starts yesterday when the Vikings beat the Lions 27-13 in Detroit. It was Favre’s second regular season game with the Vikings and his 271st career start.
Only those who have played football realize the physical and mental challenges, and good fortune, required to achieve such longevity. Favre, who turns 40 next month, is playing with a partially torn rotator cuff. This off-season he had surgery on his right shoulder.
During Favre’s pro career he’s had ankle, knee, thumb and other injuries. He’s suffered a concussion and at one time reportedly was dependent on the pain killer Vicodin.
Marshall played until he was 42 years old. All but one season of his 20 year NFL career was spent with the Vikings where he played on four Super Bowl teams and showed a remarkable determination from week to week, season to season.
Former Viking teammate Bob Lurtsema recalled a game in the 1970s when he expected to substitute for Marshall who was in the hospital with pneumonia the day of the game. But Marshall was delivered to and from the game by ambulance, returning to the hospital when his work was finished.
Lurtsema recalled congratulating Marshall after the game and the legendary defensive end told him to “cut out all this mushy crap.” Lurtsema laughed telling the story and said despite 13 surgeries during his own career he seldom missed practices because of injury or illness.
Even today at 67, Lurtsema has no arthritis. “I feel great but I am freak, just like Jim,” Lurtsema said recently.
Just like Brett Favre.