LETTERMAN: After the game with you guys, did you have a feeling that they could beat New England?

FAVRE: I did. In fact, watching film of those guys the last game against New England, the last regular-season game, they played them extremely close and really had a chance to win the ballgame. I thought, `You know, this team's really good, a lot better than the first time we played them. And their defense was playing must better, and their offense ... Eli, he caught a lot of heat throughout the season, but he played extremely well and led that football team and made some great plays against us as well as the rest of the playoffs.

LETTERMAN: Let's talk about, a read a little thing about, when you were playing college football, Southern Mississippi ...

FAVRE (interjecting): By the way, I didn't throw up.

LETTERMAN: OK.

FAVRE: Everything was true but that. I'm embarrassed to say ...

LETTERMAN: You were the seventh-string quarterback. Why do they have seven quarterbacks first of all, and why didn't you consider another position or, I don't know, golf. I don't know. I mean, your prospects looked pretty desperate then.

FAVRE: When I left high school, I threw for 400 yards. Nothing, nothing fancy. So peole didn't know a lot about me, and I kind of got a scholarship by default. Some other guys backed out, went somewhere else and I got that chance. Southern Miss was the only school that offered me, and I went there, believe it or not, as a defensive back. Thank God I played quarterback, because I wouldn't be sitting here today. And so some guys got hurt, and I got a chance from time to time to really run scout team, as they call it, against the first-team defense. Didn't really know where I was throwing it, but I threw it very hard and very far and got attention that way, and just from that point on, they were like, `Hey, that Favre, guy, he can throw.'

LETTERMAN: That's a great thing for people interested, not only in sports, but just in life. Because here's a guy if you would've talked to football experts, they wouldn't give you the time of day, and now look what's happened. So if you think you can do it, if you have an idea that that's what you want, by god don't quit for heaven's sake.

FAVRE: Well, you know, my career has been that way. I was never 'the' guy, and always had to overcome a lot of obstacles and was kind of a nobody and all those things. But I always believed and just kept working hard and here I am.

LETTERMAN: Now, you have retired? (Or) you have not retired?

FAVRE: (pauses) I have retired.

LETTERMAN: You have retired. Now ...

FAVRE: You watch TV a lot, don't you? (Letterman chuckles, crowd applauds)

LETTERMAN: Now, somebody told me the retirement form had not been signed and mailed in. Is there a retirement form that needs to be signed and mailed in?

FAVRE: That's what I've heard.

LETTERMAN: Have you signed it and mailed it in?

FAVRE: No, I haven't signed it.

LETTERMAN: Well, there you go. (Letterman laughs) Your honor ...

FAVRE: I think the only reason to sign that form is so I get a severance check or something. So it's actually in my benefit, I guess.

LETTERMAN: You're only 38, for heaven's sakes.

FAVRE: I know.

LETTERMAN: And as each day, we're getting close to minicamps, do you start feeling ...

FAVRE: You know what? Not with minicamps.

LETTERMAN: OK, forget minicamps. Did I say minicamps? Forget minicamp.

FAVRE: I wasn't excited about it last year. I think when training camp gets close, I will, something's bound to happoen.

LETTERMAN: What does that mean? 'Something's bound to happen.' As you get close to training camp, now wait a minute, 'something's bound to happen.' What does that mean?

FAVRE: I don't know. Did I just say that? (Favre flashes big smile.)

LETTERMAN: You just said, 'Something's bound to happen.' So this makes me think you're not retired.

FAVRE: Butterflies, or I don't know. I don't know. Something's bound to happen.

LETTERMAN: Let me ask you, let me put it to you this way, and I don't want to be silly about this, but I guess it's too late for that. (audience laughs) If there could be adjustments made for your training summer schedule / regimen, would that be of interest to you?

FAVRE: Can you get that worked out?

LETTERMAN: Yes, yes I can. I can take care of that.
(crowd applauds)

LETTERMAN: Did Randy Moss have anything to do with this decision?

FAVRE: Ha-ha, no. (Favre shakes his head) There's a lot of things out there. No, it didn't. Randy, I think, is a great player, will continue to be. But believe me, it had no bearing whatsoever on me coming back or not coming back.

LETTERMAN: Who's going to be the quarterback for Green Bay?

FAVRE: Aaron Rodgers, I think, is 'the' guy, I think he'll do well.

LETTERMAN: Has he ever played before?

FAVRE: A little bit, yeah.
(crowd laughter)

LETTERMAN: (laughing) But you, you were not only the heart and soul of football, but my god, you turned that town upside down. What is Green Bay doing? I heard they're shutting down the town. That's what I heard. I heard they're closing up and they're moving to Michigan.

FAVRE: I haven't heard that yet.

LETTERMAN: What, don't you watch TV? (audience cheers, CBS Orchestra drummer Anton Fig does a rim-shot)

LETTERMAN: Well, I mean, you can obviously go out any time you want, it's been a tremendous career, we're talking about a Hall of Fame career, we're talking about a man who transcends sports, been an inspiration and a hero to kids and families all over North America ...
(Favre gestures for Letterman to keep going)

Oh stop it. It's just, it's going to be hard to start the season without you. That's all I'll say. But good luck to you in whatever you do.

LETTERMAN: Look at this. Ladies and gentlemen, how about this? There he is, right there ...

(Letterman holds up the case to the XBOX360 version of the Madden 09 video game, which has Favre on the cover)

The Madden 09 XBOX 360, there's Brett Favre right there. Nice going. (crowd cheers) You get a pretty good piece ofthis?
(Favre opens the case and shows there's no disc in it.)

Whoa, wait a minute, something's gone haywire.

Well now, now that you've got some time, I've got some time, let's do some stuff together. (crowd laughs)

FAVRE: We've always talked about that.

LETTERMAN: Because I think we could get a lot of attention, the two of us out together.

FAVRE: You're right.

LETTERMAN: OK, talk it over with your family.

FAVRE: Will do.

LETTERMAN: Good to see you Brett. Brett Favre ladies and gentlemen.
(Favre and Lettermen shake hands.)