"Brett is a great winner, but this award recognizes much more than winning," said McDonell. "It recognizes performance off the field equally and celebrates the love of the game. Brett is having an astounding year on every level."

In this week's cover story, SI senior writer Alan Shipnuck talks with Favre about leadership and Favre states, "It's somehow getting 52 other guys to raise their level of play. To get them to believe in what we're trying to do. You do that by setting an example, by doing things the right way. I've always shown up, I've always been prepared, I practice every day. I practice hard. I study. No matter what happens on the field, I never point blame at anybody else. Everything I do comes back to leadership, the example I want to set."

Favre has started 249 consecutive games, the longest streak ever by an NFL quarterback. This season, his 16th in Green Bay, he tied Bart Starr for most seasons in a Packers uniform. He also broke Dan Marino's career records for touchdown passes and pass attempts. With 60,912 passing yards, Farve should soon surpass Marino's career record of 61,361.