Brett Favre on Tough Love, Parenting, and Telling the Truth (Pt. 2 of 5)

For each person living with myasthenia gravis, or MG, their journey with this rare condition is unique. That's why Untold Stories Life with myasthenia gravis, a new podcast from iHeartRadio in partnership with Argenics, is exploring the extraordinary challenges and personal triumphs of underserved communities living with MG.

Host Martine Hackett will share these powerful perspectives from real people with MG so their experiences can help inspire the MG community and educate others about this rare condition. Listen to find strength in community on the MG journey on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. so you can always try something new for free each week. Like singing hits with Stingray Karaoke, exploring shows from abroad with Acorn TV, sampling everything available on Max, like Season 3 of The Righteous Gemstones, falling in love with pics from Hallmark movies now, and turning up with iHeartRadio's Hit Nation playlist. Discover new free content across the best streaming apps every week of the year, no strings attached.

Stay free this week into your Xfinity voice remote. This is our American Stories. Much of what's been known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been kept between the goal posts. So Greg Hengler took the three and a half hour long drive south from here in Oxford, Mississippi, where we broadcast this show and sat down with Brett in his Hattiesburg, Mississippi home. Here's Brett on tough love, telling the truth, and having a parenting style that's different than his father's.

And this is part two of our five part series. I coached two years of high school football, not because I wanted to. The head coach here at the high school, who I knew really well, kind of talked me into it. I don't know, I don't really want to.

It was the first year out of retirement. And I ended up loving it. But I felt like I was really tough on the kids. I didn't pick. My dad and other coaches picked a lot. You big sissy.

Not so much me. But, and of course at that time, that's all I knew. Now, looking back, as a coach or as a person in that position, it doesn't have to be a coach, it can be a teacher. I think our job is to mentor rather than pick. I mean, in some respects it's like bullying to where some of those kids didn't even want to come around. And don't get me wrong, I would joke around with these kids, but it would always be in a playful manner. And I knew that whoever it was could handle it. In fact, it may even help with team bonding.

But I would be really demanding on what I knew they were capable of, only because I knew what they were capable of. It's just like talking to your kids and you say, and I'm bouncing all around, but like my 20 year old daughter. And I use this example all the time. Like first or second year of American Idol, we're in Green Bay. And I'm studying, but we've got American Idol on.

And we love watching. And I don't know if it was when the show was over, and she's probably eight. She comes over and she said, Dad, I want to try out for American Idol.

What do you think? I said, no. She said, why? I said, you can't sing. I said, you're terrible. And I was just telling her the truth.

I said, trust me, if I let you try out, someday you're going to say, what were you thinking? And I knew what she's capable of. And I mean, she's a smart kid. If she wanted to be a doctor, she could. If she wants to be a lawyer, she could.

But she's not going to be a rocket scientist. And I think as a coach, I demanded what I thought they were capable of achieving. And I felt like if they were not, there's a reason for it. Not studying, not paying attention in practice. But when they did well or did something that I'd been trying to coach them to do, I would reward them. I'd hug them, put my arm around them. Great job.

And that's where my dad lacked. When you did something right, you're supposed to do it that way. You didn't say anything. No. Damn. About damn time. You know, something like that. Yeah.

And that's all I knew. And I was determined that, I didn't think I'd ever coach, but if I did, that I would build them up as well. I mean, it's all right to get on their ass, but they've got to know that when they do well, that you love them.

The same can be said for life. Like, my dad, and I don't say this with any regret, because I don't. But he never told us he loved us. But again, that was his, I don't think any drill sergeant at the end of the day says, I really love you guys.

He may say it in a joking manner like, now get your ass out and give me. So my mom, of course, was kind of the caregiver, told you she loved you, and oh, don't worry about your dad. And then when he walked in the room, you know, it was all, it was tough. Tough love. And I didn't have, I was determined if I had boys, I would tell them I loved them.

As much as possible. Now, I had two girls, and I told them I loved them, and dad, I know, I know, you don't have to tell me. But I didn't tell them over and over again. Now, am I a perfect parent?

Absolutely not. But my dad was, I don't know if it was the way they were raised, I'm sure part of it was. My grandfather was real mellow, but he was up in the, people change. You know, you know, people may be old family members that, like, you're not just the tough guy that you once were.

You know, maybe with the grandkids, like, where was that when I was a kid? So, going back to my dad, when I had Brittany and Brealey, he didn't want to spend very much time with them. He didn't have patience.

Kids running around screaming, he'd start yelling, and then I'd have to yell at him. And then it was just, it was bad. But, you know, like I told people, I knew he loved me, us. He didn't have to say it. Now, as I got older, I understood it more and more. Sometimes through his yelling and screaming, that was his way of, it's kind of like saying, well, you're supposed to be able to do that, you know, good job, but hell, that's what I've been coaching you to do. That was his way of saying, awesome.

That was just the way it was. And again, it drove me, and I don't even know what I was being driven by. You know, maybe it was driving me, you know, like I'll get him to say, nice job, proud of you, without even knowing it. But it's funny, when he would come up to Green Bay, he'd retire. And this is just kind of a funny exchange between us, but he would get in the truck after the game.

It'd be a good game. Let me tell you, well, you'd have completed 30 if you'd have thrown 30 more better passes. I'm like, look, for someone who never threw the ball, don't tell me how to throw. And he'd just shut up. There was nothing he could say. You know, it was the truth. Why'd you miss that read?

I'm like, I don't even want to hear it. You never coached me one thing about reading. It was hitting a tackle on dummy and doing monkey rolls, which I wouldn't trade it. It worked out. But don't tell me how to throw. But up until the end, I mean, he was determined to coach me up. Now, all of a sudden, he's going to coach me up on the ins and outs of the passing game.

He didn't know shit from Sean Ollen when it came to the passing game. And you're listening to Brett Favre talking about his dad, who was his coach when he was in high school, and they never threw the ball. And we're going to continue. If you'd like to hear more on Brett Favre's life. This is part two of a five part series. Brett Favre's story. This one about his father, about parenting, about love and discipline.

Here on Our American Stories. There are some things in life you just can't trust, like a free couch on the side of the road or the sushi rolls from your local gas station, or when your kids say they don't need the bathroom before the road trip. But there are some things in life you can trust, like the HP Smart Tank Printer with up to two years of ink included and outstanding print quality. You can rely on the HP Smart Tank Printer from HP, America's most trusted printer brand.

I'm Malcolm Gladwell. I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm a car nut and I will do anything to keep my cars happy, to make sure they stay running smoothly. I look for those things at eBay Motors with eBay Guaranteed Fit. When you see the green check, you know that part will fit. Get the right parts at the right prices. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. You can sell July 19th through August 1st at the Live Nation dot com slash Summers Live.