Mike Woods

ASHWAUBENON – If Brett Favre had any lingering concerns about how the majority of Packers fans feel about him, they should have been erased early Monday afternoon.

Appearing at a fundraising event for Rawhide at Brett Favre’s Steakhouse, the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback received a long and loud standing ovation from the approximately 200 in attendance.

It was Favre’s first public appearance in the Green Bay area since 2010 after his messy divorce from the Green Bay Packers two years earlier, when the organization decided to move ahead with Aaron Rodgers and traded Favre to the New York Jets.

Favre appeared with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young, who played a key role in making Favre’s appearance possible, according to Rawhide public relations coordinator Scott Sawinski.

The mood was light as Favre and Young traded old football stories and talked about the competition between the Packers and San Francisco 49ers during the 1990s.

At one point, Young asked Favre about his impending induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the ring of honor at Lambeau. Favre gave a little insight as to what was in store.

“I know in the immediate future, next July, I think it’s the 17th or 18th, we’re going to do the induction here and then the following season, so roughly a year from now, maybe even less, we’ll do a game where we unveil the jersey at halftime,” Favre said.

“And then I guess the following year, the following summer, I think, would be potentially the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame. Also, the Mississippi Hall of Fame is coming up a week after Green Bay next year. So there’s a lot of stuff in the works. Yeah, I am looking forward to it.”

After the program, Favre and wife Deanna left through a back door to a waiting SUV and did not speak to reporters. Before he left the stage, Favre told the crowd: “It’s exciting to be back.”

With that, someone in the crowd shouted “Welcome home, Brett,” and that set off a minute-long standing ovation.

Favre appeared as a consideration for former Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who is recovering at his home in Birmingham, Ala., from a series of strokes, seizures and a heart attack in September.

“Brett was gracious to work with Rawhide,” said Bart Starr Jr. “He said as long as we can keep it relatively quiet we’ll do this. As I mentioned, people are probably unaware of how often Brett and his wife Deanna have contributed to Rawhide behind the scenes.

“Today was in front of everybody, but they’ve been very, very gracious for a long, long time. We’re so grateful he would step to the podium once more for a very important cause for the state of Wisconsin.”

Favre’s foundation presented a $20,000 check to Rawhide on Monday.

Starr Jr. picked up Favre in Mississippi early Monday and said there were no signs of him being nervous or that he had any trepidation on the flight to Green Bay.

“He was completely relaxed and jovial,’’ Starr Jr. said. “We told some great stories coming up on the plane today. Very much at ease and confident, and he ought to be. Look what he did for this community. The people here are not going to focus that he would end up playing a few years beyond his Packers career. Johnny Unitas did that, Joe Montana did that, some of the greatest players in history did that. Let’s focus on what he did while he was here. I think everybody’s coming around to that way of thinking.”

Starr Jr. encouraged fans to relish what Favre did for the community as much as the Packers organization.

“Now it’s starting to come out a little bit, but he’s been doing this sort of thing for years and years and years. Not just with Rawhide but with other organizations, he just doesn’t tell you about it.”

Mike Woods writes for Post-Crescent Media