Wolf staked his career on Brett Favre

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A recent sports memorabilia auction included the original scouting report the Atlanta Falcons did on quarterback Brett Favre prior to the 1991 NFL draft.

The Falcons’ scout rated Favre at a grade of 6.0, and Atlanta went on to draft Favre in the second round with the 33rd overall pick.

In 1991, Ron Wolf was the New York Jets’ personnel director, and he had been planning to take Favre with the very next pick.

Atlanta’s head coach at the time, Jerry Glanville, was upset that his team had drafted Favre, and the rookie from Southern Mississippi attempted only four passes in 1991.

Wolf was named general manager of the Green Bay Packers in late 1991, and he made a very risky move by trading his team’s first-round pick in 1992 to the Falcons for Favre.

“I thought (Favre) was the best player in the 1991 draft,” Wolf told me recently. “The Falcons’ scouting report (didn’t) do service to his ability. My grade would have been 8.5 or higher. The Falcons’ report is a bottom of the third round grade.”

Favre went on to pass for 71,838 yards, claim three straight NFL MVP awards and lead the Packers to a Super Bowl title.

This past Saturday, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first time on the ballot.

“In my 38 years in the business, he is the best I have ever been around,” said Wolf of Favre. “He is a once in a lifetime player. I staked my career on him, and he came through with the gold ring.”

Wolf himself was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015, mostly due to that fateful trade he made for Favre.

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Trivia Time – Dom Capers was the first head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

This week’s question – Who did the Atlanta Falcons draft in 1992 with the first-round pick they received from the Packers for Brett Favre?

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By Steve Stout

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Reach Steve Stout at 652-1331 (ext. 1776) or on Twitter @udcstout

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