Q is for..........

Q is for..........Quarterback.

Quarterback is perhaps the most glamorous position in American sports. If your team has a good quarterback, they always have a chance. My beloved Green Bay Packers have been blessed with two great quarterbacks, and a third on the verge of greatness.

Green Bay's first great quarterback was Bart Starr. I never saw Starr play, but he was the first Green Bay coach that I remember. Starr guided the Packers to unparalleled success as a quarterback, but his coaching career with Green Bay would have to be considered a failure.

The thing that really impresses me about Starr is that he was drafted in the 17th round out of Alabama. 198 other players were drafted ahead of him. Guys like Starr aren't supposed to make the team, much less become a franchise icon.

It would be a long time before another great quarterback roamed the frozen tundra.

Brett Lorenzo Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft. Favre was traded to the Packers the following year, and most Green Bay fans were underwhelmed. Quite frankly, most of us had never even heard of the guy. But oh my, how that quickly changed.

Favre got his chance in the 4th game of the 1992 season (which Green Bay won on an incredible Favre touchdown pass no less), and he went on to start every game through the 2007 season. Favre is the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive MVP awards (1995-1997), and let me tell ya, those were fun times to be a Packers' fan.

Unfortunately, things ended badly in Green Bay. Management was ready to move on, but Favre wasn't ready to retire. Most Green Bay fans cheered for Brett in New York, but when he donned the purple and gold, Favre's reputation took a serious hit. Even now, when someone talks about Favre, my first response is often, "Who?" I still need time to get over the whole Vikings thing, but eventually I'll open my heart to the ol' Gunslinger again.

It wouldn't take another 21 years for Green Bay to find its next great quarterback. In fact, Green Bay sent Favre packing becasue they had a young kid waiting in the wings.

Aaron Rodgers took over for Favre in 2008. A lot of fans were still upset about losing Favre, and the pressure on Rodgers to succeed was intense. While the team's record in Rodgers's first season was an unimpressive 6-10, Rodgers played at a high level. Even the most ardent Favre supporters could see that Rodgers was a special player.

In 2010 Rodgers led the Pack to their fourth Super Bowl title. Rodgers was the league MVP last year, as he led the Packers to a 15-1 regular season record. Unfortunately, the Packers ran into the red-hot New York Giants in the playoffs and failed in their quest to repeat. With Rodgers at the helm, Green Bay should be in the hunt for a title every year.

Green Bay may be the smallest market in the NFL. But when it comes to quarterbacks, they're second to none.