Bruce said:
ArizonaPackerFan said:
The guy who helped Favre train in the off season is from Arizona, so they ran an article about it in our local paper down here. I thought it was pretty interesting. It tells about some of the training Favre did, and how Favre's family took the guy into their home. It was nice to read about Favre's dedication.
"You talk about wonderful people," Croner said of Favre and his wife. "Before I came out he called and told me, 'You're going to be here a long time, you're going to be a part of my family.' They were so good to me."
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardina ... r0820.html
Thanks for the teaser Arizona -- any chance you could post the article? I had heard similar things, but I think Favres rededication is one of the big NFL offseason stories that gets buried by T.O. and the Rosenhog players antics for negative attention.
It's not a pay site, so you should be able to use the link and see it for free, though they sometimes ask questions before allowing you in. Below is the article though in case you can't get in for some reason.
Working out a Hall of Famer
Valley man helps Favre get fit for possible farewell
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 20, 2005 12:00 AM
Five days a week for five weeks, they met for their 8 a.m. workout, the future Hall of Fame quarterback sometimes secretly hoping the trainer would contract the flu and the trainer wondering if the quarterback would fail to show, or suggest taking a day off.
Didn't happen.
As a result, Packers quarterback Brett Favre showed up to training camp in better shape than in years
It was the first time that Favre worked with a personal trainer in the off-season. The goal wasn't to lose weight, although Favre dropped five pounds down to 217, or to reduce body fat. Favre wanted to be able to scramble around on one play and not feel winded when he went to the line of scrimmage for the next.
Most importantly, Favre wanted the peace of mind of knowing that he did everything he could to prepare for his 15th NFL season.
"At the end of the season this year, I can't say, well, what if I had done this?" Favre told reporters at the start of training camp.
Favre didn't know if he would return this season. The previous year had taken a toll. His father died of a heart attack. His brother-in-law was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His wife, Deanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
A day after the season ended, Favre had his customary meeting with quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, who played at Scottsdale Chaparral High for his father, Jim.
If he did return, Favre told Bevell, he was going to approach the 2005 season differently. It always irritated him when teammates reported to camp out of shape, and Favre felt "I was turning into one of those guys."
That led him to Croner, who spent the 2003 off-season working for the Packers as a strength and conditioning assistant under Barry Rubin. Rubin contacted Croner, and the Packers and Athletes' Performance reached a contract agreement.
On April 24, Croner arrived at Favre's home in Hattiesburg, Miss. He and Favre watched game film, and Croner created a program specific to a quarterback's needs.
They worked on balance, agility, strength and stamina. Favre never lifted a traditional weight, nor did he run more than 10 yards in a straight line.
Minor changes were made in Favre's diet, mainly encouraging him not to skip lunch, as he often did at home in the off-season.
"Our goal was simple," Croner said, "to get him into the best shape possible to play football."
Favre opened his home to Croner, who stayed there during the training period. Every weekday morning at 8, the two met on Favre's outdoor basketball court for an hour-long workout.
"I was hoping Ken would come down with the flu and wouldn't show up," Favre said recently. "Of course, he showed up every day, so I had to go through with this workout."
Croner was just as impressed with Favre's commitment.
"There was no, 'Oh, you know what, Ken? Let's go at 10. Let's go at 1,' " Croner said. "Every day at 8 o'clock, we got after it."
Mondays and Thursdays were upper-body days. Tuesdays and Fridays, lower body. Wednesday was a recovery day.
Ken Croner, a personal trainer at Athletes' Performance in Tempe who traveled to Favre's home in the off-season, can barely keep up with the phone calls asking what it was like to work with Favre.
"I can't say enough about his effort, his enthusiasm and his willingness to get better," Croner said.
On upper-body days, Croner used medicine ball exercises in a routine designed to generate power through Favre's midsection and trunk. On lower-body days, Croner emphasized movement drills.
He attached a bungee cord to Favre, who simulated a quarterback's drop, either three, five or seven steps. All the while, Croner was tugging Favre in difference directions with the bungee cord.
After each exercise, Favre had 30 to 45 seconds to recover, roughly equivalent to the time between plays in a game.
He wore a heart monitor to measure his improvement. The drills that left him breathless in the first week, he handled effortlessly in the eighth week.
After the workout with Croner, Favre worked on his property, cutting grass and driving a tractor. Croner asked to work, too, so Favre taught him to drive a tractor, and Croner mowed brush and weeds in the afternoons.
"You talk about wonderful people," Croner said of Favre and his wife. "Before I came out he called and told me, 'You're going to be here a long time, you're going to be a part of my family.' They were so good to me."
Croner left around Memorial Day and returned to Hattiesburg on July 10, about three weeks before camp started. He was thrilled to find that Favre had worked hard in his absence.
It had been years since Favre reported to camp this well conditioned. It's no guarantee of a great year, Favre cautioned, because "it's hard to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in good shape or bad shape."
But there will be no regrets.
"It puts him into a position to succeed," Croner said, "and say, 'I did everything I could. I decided to come back. I asked for help. I'm doing everything I possibly can to succeed.'
"And for him, that's enough."
