Brett Favre announced Monday the real reason he retired from the Green Bay Packers - to become UW-Madison chancellor.
I specifically thought of the chancellor position when considering retirement,"" Favre said in a rare sit-down interview with The Daily Cardinal. ""UW-Madison students have always been some of my biggest fans - now I want to do something for them.""
University officials said the football star's retirement from the Green Bay Packers fell in line with finding a replacement for current Chancellor John Wiley, who will step down in September.
""Brett Favre is a natural born leader and as the Packers quarterback, led the team to one of their best seasons in years,"" UW Board of Regents President Mark Bradley said. ""We at the University of Wisconsin think he could do the same thing here.""
Bradley said Favre's international celebrity status will help excel the university to become most popular among its peers, the No. 1 research institution in the country and the benefactor of more donors than ever before.
""Favre has the likeability factor - now we just have to let him use it to get UW to the top of the rankings,"" Bradley said.
Admissions office officials said they have already received a flood of calls from anxious UW-Madison student hopefuls.
""The phones have been ringing all day with potential students asking if it's true - basically saying they'll do anything and everything to be accepted,"" Director of Admissions Rob Seltzer said.
The Badgers football team is especially excited, since Favre agreed to attend practice twice a week.
""We cannot express what this means for our football team,"" the players wrote in a statement. ""Brett's skill and passion will give us the advantage in the conference and the country.""
In a letter obtained by The Daily Cardinal from the Packers to the university, the professional football team has suggested a trade - Favre for Wiley.
""John Wiley has broken records too,"" the letter said, referring to the record-breaking funds Wiley has secured for the university. ""We hope he will now fill our recently vacant quarterback spot.""
Wiley said Monday he has not decided whether or not to take the offer.
