Tim Tebow: The man behind the mania

Zack McLeod is Tim Tebow's kind of player — and man. And vice-versa.

The 20-year-old former high school football player won't snag any touchdown throws from his hero Saturday at Gillette Stadium when the Denver Broncos' on-field miracle-worker challenges the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional playoff game. But McLeod just may catch a pass — and more compassion and love than he ever might have imagined.

As kickoff approaches, Tebow will do what he always does at pressure-packed times — give of himself. The 24-year-old quarterback will spend precious moments with McLeod , who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a preseason game in 2008. They plan to meet on the sidelines as part of the Tebow Foundation's Wish 15 program that grants special requests for young people with serious medical issues.

"When we told Zack (this week), he just screamed, 'Nooooo waaaay!' " says his father, Pat McLeod, who along with his wife, Tammy, work as Harvard University chaplains. " We are hoping Tim will throw him a pass. Zack still has great hands."

One thing is certain: McLeod will receive a Tebow hug.

The son of evangelical missionaries, Tebow — voted America's new favorite athlete in the latest ESPN Sports poll — says giving a warm embrace and words of encouragement to those in need "puts everything into perspective" before an important game.

"We're playing a game, and you want to win, but you know that it's not the end of the world," Tebow says . "Even a bad loss on the football field is better than spending a day (recovering) in a hospital."

Tebow discussed a wide range of topics in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY this week, including how he copes with his fame, which seems to gain by leaps and bounds with each week.

The latest flashpoint came Sunday on the heels of Tebow and the Broncos struggling during a three-game losing streak to end the regular season. But in a wild-card playoff game against Pittsburgh, Tebow led the Broncos to a 29-23 upset of the Steelers with an 80-yard pass that ended the overtime thriller in a record 11 seconds. The can't-miss moment prompted the internet to spasm with a flood of tweets.

"I don't have to live the rollercoaster other people live with my life," he says. "It's hard because people try to have an effect. I try to stay centered in my faith and my family and the close people around me."

Living a private life

Tebow's well-documented empathy and humanitarianism are easier to comprehend than Tebow the person, vastly more complex than Tebow the phenomenon. Attempting to uncover nuggets regarding his real-world life beyond touchdown passes and charitable deeds is like trying to mine for gold in a dry Colorado creek bed. Corralling the otherwise-frisky Bronco to talk about himself can be a pleasant chore.

Ceaselessly cordial and accommodating, the media-savvy former Heisman Trophy winner surrenders very little regarding his personal life beyond perfunctory, sometimes well-rehearsed answers that reveal little. He is good-natured, exceedingly polite as he adroitly scrambles from questions he prefers not to directly address.

"I think he's loosening up a little bit," says Andrew Mason, editor and publisher of MaxDenver.com, which chronicles the Broncos . "But I think we would all like to learn a little bit more about what makes him tick. For the moment, I see no reason not to believe that this is who he is."

Tebow rarely discusses his frustrations with the sharper edges of fame and fortune. Most do not know it, but the conscientious quarterback is a closet worrier. The cocoon-ish isolation of superstardom prompts him to conclude, "It's hard to create new friendships outside sports."

Told that the public does not know much regarding his private life beyond his strong religious convictions, the hunky 6-3, 245-pound quarterback — who peddles underwear for Jockey in bare-chested advertisements — laughs nervously.

"I feel like I'm pretty open about stuff …if people look into it," he says a bit hesitantly. "Outside of football and training, I am somewhat of a homebody. Love hangin' out with my siblings and close friends. It is my favorite thing to do in the world. Love laughing — love tellin' jokes. I really try to enjoy life and have joy with what I do. I don't know, I guess that's a little inside look at me."

Simple pleasures for a somewhat-complicated young man, one who certainly is no off-the-field NFL throwback when it comes to the marquee position.

Back in a bawdier days of professional football, some wildly popular quarterbacks showed off their non-conformity, arrogance and pure, unadulterated bad-boy behavior.

The New York Jets' "Broadway Joe" Namath wore blondes on both arms in late-night haunts. Ken Stabler liked to say that he studied the Raiders' playbook by the light of the jukebox in Oakland honky-tonks. Jim McMahon, the Chicago Bears' chief iconoclast, mooned a helicopter during a Super Bowl practice.

Hard partying and all-nighters seemed the norm. More recently, the introduction of personal brand-building and greater image buffing, miniature cameras built into cell phones and 24-hour instant-news disseminators, such as Twitter and Facebook, seem to reduce publicly outlandish naughtiness and foster greater circumspection.

John Elway knows what it is like to be a stud pro quarterback. The two-time Super Bowl-winner and Hall of Famer was the toast of Denver during his heyday, and he candidly acknowledges that he enjoyed the perks. Now 51 and the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations, Elway keenly understands that the public, often jaded with the highly buffed public veneers of some athletes, might wonder about Tebow, despite his reputation for embodying Christian values.

"Is he too good to be true?" asks Elway .

Elway quickly answers his own query: "I think that's how the media represent it. But that is how we see him (as genuine). Tim is beyond his years" on and off the field.

"His maturity level with dealing with the pressures of what comes with playing the position (is enviable)," Elway says. "If you watch how he handles each press conference, that is truly who he is. It is not an act. It is a credit to his background and his parents. There is no question that, from where I sit, his priorities are different than those of most 24-year-olds."

More to life than football

Indeed. The young left-hander with the unorthodox playing style appears to have a very orthodox, if generally secluded, lifestyle. Tebow's name rarely pops up in Denver society columns — and never with a whiff of scandal. He says he would rather serve others, including his desire to extend his foundation's plan to support orphans around the world and build a hospital in Davao City in the Philippines, which is scheduled to break ground in March.

"Tim believes there is more to life than football," says foundation executive director Erik Dellenback.

Tebow does not imbibe, proudly display rivers of tattoo ink on his sculpted physique or hang out in posh nightclubs. Raised and home-schooled on a 44-acre farm outside Jacksonville, Fla., he says he takes the notion of personal responsibility seriously.

"The biggest reason I don't (consume alcohol) is because (if I have) a glass of wine, I don't want to be responsible for a kid looking up to me and saying, 'Hey, Tebow's doin' it — I am going to do it.' And then he makes a bad decision."

Tebow is the antithesis of Charles Barkley when it comes to the issue of role models.

"Yes sir. Because, like it or not, it is serious," he says.

No vices? No temptations?

"Nope," he says. Tebow pauses, racking his snow-cap-covered head to come up with something.

"Love ice cream," he says. "I let myself have that about once a week. Vanilla."

Tebow giggles. OK, he admits, maybe occasionally he will take the pleasure of adding a brownie with his ice cream, which is a healthy version, he says, because it is homemade.

"There is one thing weird about me," he adds. "In the NFL, you know how people love going to fancy restaurants? I am not a fancy-restaurant guy. I am a good-tasting steak-and-potatoes guy."

Last summer, Tebow did enjoy the extravagance of N9NE, an upscale steakhouse at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, where he was working a promotion event for Nike. Along with running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, cornerback Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, the foursome had their photograph taken with executive chef Barry Dakake.

However, Tebow finds social gatherings in public quite difficult for the same reason all celebrities cite: Lack of privacy. Hence, he prefers to limit his free time to intimate gatherings with family and long-time friends, a virtual prisoner of his own burgeoning popularity.

"Sometimes you want to go to dinner and hang with friends, but you don't want to sign (autographs) or take pictures the whole time," he says. "But I am just like anyone else; I like meeting new people."

Which naturally leads to the subject of much internet speculation — Tebow's romantic relationships with the opposite sex. Or, he says, lack thereof.

Recently, the quarterback was linked to professional skier Lindsey Vonn after "Tebowing" — Vonn genuflected on one knee and prayed as Tebow does after a touchdown or a victory — following her first World Cup win on a U.S. slope last month.

Not true, he says. Vonn is a family friend. The Tebows met her at the ESPYs award show.

Tebow does not have a girlfriend because he says he is "too busy with football and life and …it's hard." He offers no elaboration, deftly and quickly re-routing an interview.

A few minutes later, Tebow, an acknowledged virgin, is asked if he is besieged with women trying to meet him through a variety of social-networking methods.

"Umm, good question,'' he says, smiling. "First, I am very blessed to have a close-knit (group of family and friends) around me. I am not out there doing a lot of things. I guess it is one of the frustrating things where I am (in life). I love meeting and talking with new people, socializing and hanging out. But people can read that the wrong way."

Tebow says he "always has been careful about leading girls on.''

"I always want to be very careful about that,'' he says. "That is one thing that's a little frustrating."

Helping others

Tebow does not allow that frustration to seep out. His unbridled joy and passion is most evident when he surrounds himself with young admirers, particularly those suffering with physical limitations who could use an inspirational jolt of his magnetic personality.

Such was the case last weekend in Denver when he met Bailey Knaub, 16, after his foundation provided four tickets and other goodies for her family to attend the Broncos' wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Loveland, Colo., high school student suffers from a rare vascular disorder that has led to more than 70 surgeries the last decade — including the removal of her left lung in 2010.

Incredibly, less than 15 minutes before kickoff, Tebow finished warming up and approached the girl on the sidelines, telling her, "Bailey, I've been looking forward to meeting you." He gave her a big hug and presented her with an autographed football.

"It was very emotional — we haven't seen her that happy in a long time," says her mother, Kathy. "You could tell by how he was talking to Bailey that he was not doing this for publicity or any other reason than he likes kids. He really is an exceptional guy."

Bailey thinks so, too.

"My heart was going like a million miles an hour," she says.

"He was amazing — so sweet, kind and generous. He just made me feel so special.

"It was the best day of my life.''

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Patriots, 49ers have eight Pro Bowlers apiece

Tom Brady is one of eight Patriots and Patrick Willis one of eight 49ers to make the Pro Bowl, the most on each roster.

Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday.

Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots. Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative.

MORE: NFC Pro Bowl roster
MORE: AFC Pro Bowl roster

Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.

Green Bay's Rodgers is the starting NFC quarterback, backed by record-setting Drew Brees of New Orleans (12-3).

"It does have special significance, because when I was voted in in 2009, I was the third guy and I was very thankful to be voted in, and got the opportunity to start because of some injuries and guys not going," Rodgers said. "It's great to be voted in as a starter, that means a lot to me and it's a special honor."

Four of the NFL's biggest headline makers this season did not get voted in by players, coaches and fans: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Steelers LB James Harrison, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, and Denver QB Tim Tebow.

Suh might have lost support after drawing a two-game suspension for stomping an opponent, and Harrison's one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy might have reduced his support.

Fifteen first-time Pro Bowlers made the NFC squad, including Rogers, Staley and safety Dashon Goldson of the 49ers. Thirteen AFC players were first-time selections, including Gronkowski, Carter and Slater of New England. Carter is on injured reserve (left quadriceps) and won't play.

"If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end," said the Saints' Jimmy Graham, the starter at the position and a first-time Pro Bowler. "And to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously."

Fourteen teams from each conference were represented, with St. Louis (2-13) and Washington (5-10) drawing blanks in the NFC, Buffalo (6-9) and Tennessee (8-7) shut out in the AFC.

Pittsburgh (11-4), New Orleans and Chicago (7-8) each had five representatives.

Three rookies were chosen: Denver linebacker Von Miller, Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green, and Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, selected as a kick return specialist. He has tied an NFL record with four punt runbacks for TDs this season.

"As I've said before, A.J. is the best first-round draft pick that I've ever been around," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "He has shown the other players in this league, and the fans, that he deserved this honor. I have not seen a receiver better than he is at getting to the ball."

All the kickers are from Bay Area teams.

NFC special teamers included two 49ers: record-setting placekicker David Akers, and punter Andy Lee; Peterson; and Corey Graham of Chicago.

For the AFC, the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski is the placekicker, Shane Lechler the punter. The kick return specialist is Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, and the special-teams player is Slater.

NFC starters will be Rodgers, Eagles RB LeSean McCoy, Packers FB John Kuhn, Graham, Panthers C Ryan Kalil, Saints guards Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks, Eagles tackle Jason Peters and Staley, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Lions WR Calvin Johnson on offense.

On defense, it will be Vikings DE Jared Allen and Eagles DE Jason Babin, Cowboys DT Jay Ratliff and Smith, Packers OLB Clay Matthews and Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware, ILB Willis, Packers CB Charles Woodson and Rogers, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

AFC starters will be Brady, Ravens RB Ray Rice and FB Vonta Leach, Gronkowski, Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey, Mankins and Waters at guard, Browns tackles Joe Thomas and Dolphins tackle Jake Long, Welker and Steelers WR Mike Wallace.

On defense, it will be Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil replacing Carter, Colts DE Dwight Freeney, Wilfork and Ravens DT Haloti Ngata, Miller and Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs, Lewis, Jets CB Darrelle Revis and Broncos CB Champ Bailey, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Ravens safety Ed Reed.

Players who make the Super Bowl will be replaced on the Pro Bowl rosters.

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Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis dies at 82

Al Davis died at the age of 82, according to the team.

Longtime Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has died at the age of 82, according to the team.

The Hall of Famer died at his home in Oakland, the team said. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

The self-described "maverick" was one of the NFL's most enigmatic personalities. As an owner, he feuded with commissioners, coaches, and cities on his way to three Super Bowl titles. Those who grew close to him often referred to him as 'Coach Davis' -- a tribute to his stint as head coach in the early years of the franchise and to his wealth of football expertise.

Aside from the three championships, Davis' biggest victory came in 1982 when a six-person jury sided with the Oakland Raiders in their anti-trust suit against the NFL. The verdict, upheld when the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, allowed the Raiders to move to Los Angeles without approval by the NFL owners.

Away from the courts, Davis coached, talked, dreamed and lived the game of football. At various points in his life, he was a free-lance scout; a college coach at 21; head coach of the Raiders at 33; commissioner of the American Football League at 36; and Raiders' majority owner at 47.

"He was a football guy," said former Raiders defensive back George Atkinson. "He was an innovator. Look at his rise in the world of football. That alone will tell you how entrenched he was in the sport. He did everything in football from the bottom all the way to the top."

When the merger talk between the two warring leagues began in the spring of 1966, Davis found himself on the outside. The negotiators for the historic deal were Tex Schramm of Dallas and Lamar Hunt of Kansas City, who met in a series of secret meetings at Love Field, a Dallas airport.

Yet, Davis played a significant role during his 3 ½-month term as the AFL's renegade commissioner. Davis replaced Joe Foss and began hustling NFL quarterbacks, putting pressure on the established NFL. At a press conference in New York to announce his new job, Davis added the words "dynamic" and "young genius" to the press release. Later, Davis would suggest that three NFL teams move to the AFL side. Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore took Davis' advice (and $3 million each), breaking an impasse.

"Al Davis' passion for football and his influence on the game were extraordinary," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday. "He defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level. The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke. He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL."

The only aspect of his life that Davis placed above football was his marriage. When Carol, his wife, suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma in 1979, Davis virtually abandoned the Raiders to remain near his wife in an Oakland hospital. Davis slept in a storage room, never leaving the hospital until Carol made an amazing recovery.

"Just Win, Baby." That was Davis's personal motto. Its origin is unknown but it's unlikely that Davis coined the phrase, since he rarely used the word, "baby," in his speech. Yet, Davis never discouraged the slogan. Indeed, he and the Oakland Raiders lived by it, on the field and in the courts.

Davis and the Raiders were unlike any other team in pro football. Davis was not only the owner, but the general manager and, unofficially, the head of the team's personnel department. No Raider practice was quite complete unless Davis, prowling the sideline, made a few coaching points about execution or timing.

"He loved being around the players," said James Lofton, former Raiders wide receiver and NFL Hall of Famer. "The highlight of the day for him was when he came out to watch practice. He always stood up for his players. And his players always rallied around him."

And Davis knew exactly what kind of players he wanted. He cherished a strong-armed quarterback, defenders with the speed to play man-to-man defense, and wide receivers with the ability to stretch the field. The Raiders stayed true to Davis' football philosophy throughout his tenure with the team, consistently drafting the fastest college prospects.

During the Raiders' big years, from the mid-60s to the mid-80s, Davis kept signing players who were considered troublemakers, or marginal talent, by other clubs. Thus Davis and the Raiders developed a mystique that remained until the mid-90s. That was when the NFL owners agreed to a free agency/salary cap system that took away Davis' method of finding and signing outlaw players.

One of Davis' pick-ups, quarterback Jim Plunkett, led the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins in four years. Among the other castoffs who gave the Raiders the distinct look of a free-agent team before free agency arrived in 1993: John Matuszak, Lyle Alzado, Ted Hendricks, Todd Christensen, Darryl Lamonica and Ben Davidson.

"It's a sad day for us," Lamonica said. "When you think of Al Davis, that commitment to excellence was him. The pride and poise was more than just words. That was our way of life for the Raiders as we played under him."

In 1969, Davis made linebackers coach John Madden the youngest head coach in football at the age of 32. Over the next 10 seasons, Madden went on to become one of the winningest coaches in league history. Madden owns the best regular-season winning percentage among coaches with 100 wins, going 112-39-7 from 1969-1978. He earned the franchise's first Vince Lombardi Trophy, winning Super Bowl XI following the 1976 season. Madden would go on to the Hall of Fame with Davis as his presenter.

When reached by USA TODAY, Madden was emotionally devastated and said it was too hard at this time to give his reflection on the passing of a legendary mentor he has the utmost regard for.

"Not right now,'' Madden said, pausing. "I'm not ready for that.''

Madden would retire in 1978 and Davis hired former Raiders quarterback Tom Flores to succeed him. Flores, the first hispanic head coach in the NFL, went on to win Super Bowl XV following the 1980 season. A year later, Davis took the Raiders to Los Angeles following a lengthy court battle.

"It is ludicrous to think that the NFL is a single entity when in reality we are 28 different entities who compete viciously in every conceivable way," said Davis after his victory in the courts. "We won because the NFL knowingly violated anti-trust laws, losing unanimously on bad faith and unfair dealings."

Over the years the Raiders went to court against the league more than a half-dozen times. Before the Raiders' move to the glitter of Los Angeles became official, the Raiders and the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the league, claiming its constitution was illegal. Specifically, the Raiders challenged the rule that a team needed the approval of the 28 owners before it could move.

The case went to two trials. The first was declared a mistrial. The testimony covered 88 days. The final verdict, which took only 5 ½ hours to come down, thrilled Davis and attorney Joe Alioto but angered Oakland fans. Although Davis sued the league, his victory was seen as a personal triumph over Commissioner Pete Rozelle, with whom he often feuded.

"I never really respected him, really," Davis once said of Rozelle. "I've seen him flirt with the truth too often. But that's not important. I beat him, or we beat him, when it came to good faith and fair dealing.

The Raiders opened their first season in the aging Coliseum in 1982. But 13 years later, after disappointing ticket sales and a heated disagreement with the Coliseum over luxury boxes, Davis moved the Raiders back to Oakland. The Rams moved, too, signing a sweetheart deal with St. Louis that left the sprawling Los Angeles market without pro football. Davis' moves opened the gates for what was termed "franchise free agency." The owners were helpless to block the Baltimore Colts from moving to Indianapolis; the Houston Oilers from moving to Nashville, Tenn., and the Cleveland Browns from moving to Baltimore.

After their victory in Super Bowl XVIII (a 38-9 drubbing of the Washington Redskins) the Raiders went 18 years before finally making it to Super Bowl XXXVII. They were routed by Tampa Bay, 48-21. The defeat was especially painful for Davis, who lost to Jon Gruden, the coach he fired the year before. Over those 18 years, the Raiders failed to make the playoffs 10 times; lost two AFC titles games (to Buffalo, 51-3 and Baltimore, 16-3), and were knocked out of the postseason in the first round three times.

The next decade would see the franchise shuffle through a number of head coaches, none of whom could muster a winning season. In 2006, Davis re-hired former Raider great Art Shell, whom promoted in 1989 as the first black head coach in the NFL's modern era.

''The important thing for this guy is to have great success on the football field as a head coach,'' said Davis. ''… If this is an historic occasion, it's only meaningful if he has great success.''

Shell would resign after a 2-14 finish. Ten years earlier, Davis made Amy Trask the first female CEO in the NFL.

''If anyone would make a bold move, it's Davis," said Shell's former Raiders teammate, the late Gene Upshaw, former head of the NFL Players Association.

Over the next four seasons Davis' teams finished with losing records until an 8-8 season in 2010, Tom Cable's second full season as head coach after replacing Lane Kiffin, whom Davis fired in the midst of a very public dispute. At the center of the spectacle was Davis' decision to draft JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, who is known as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

"It's always easy to go back and be critical of draft (choices)," said Lofton. "He never made any excuses. He would bite the bullet."

Davis would fire Cable next, promoting Hue Jackson to head coach. Jackson, who is 2-2 in his first season as coach, referred to the owner as "Coach Davis" in his final days.

As the Raiders declined, so did Davis' health. He suffered what he vaguely termed as "a leg injury" That forced him to use a walker and to miss some of the significant testing sessions for prospects in the NFL draft and over the last few years, several games.

Brett Favre says his comments were misinterpreted

What Brett Favre intended to be a harmless radio interview has transformed into another dust-up this week for the former NFL QB, leaving him taken aback at a firestorm of criticism, he told USA TODAY on Friday.

"Nothing, for the most part, surprises me anymore,'' the league's all-time leading passer said from his home in Hattiesburg, Miss. "But I have to admit (the reaction to) this one surprised me.''

The content, tone and inflection of his interview with 790 The Zone in Atlanta were made in sincere praise of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the organization, Favre said. He figures most folks have not actually listened to the interview and are relying on a snippet of a quote that that he believes is being misinterpreted.

AUDIO: Favre's radio interview

The source of the controversy: Favre told the station that he was not shocked that Rodgers led the Packers to a triumph in Super Bowl XLV. "The biggest surprise to me,'' he said, "would be that he didn't do it sooner.''

Favre also called the Packers' Super Bowl MVP signal-caller "very bright'' and a "tremendous talent.''

"It is very (infrequent) when I do interviews,'' Favre said. "I was very gracious and complimentary of the Packers and Aaron Rodgers.''

Favre, who turns 42 on Monday, played 16 seasons for the Packers, winning Super Bowl XXXI after the 1996 season. The relationship eventually dissolved under acrimonious circumstances. The Packers released him following the 2007 season, promoting Rodgers to the starting role.

Favre on Rodgers' ring: 'Surprised it took him so long'

Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, right, were Packers teammates from 2005-07.

Brett Favre has waded into the court of public opinion again -- whether or not he intended to.

And he may have stepped in it ... unless he didn't. It probably depends on whether he was genuinely complimenting his Packers successor, Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers, which Favre may well have been doing ... unless he wasn't.

While granting a radio interview on Atlanta's 790 The Zone, Favre was asked if he was surprised that Rodgers had already won a Super Bowl -- which matches the number Favre won in his 16-year tenure with the Pack -- even though this is only Rodgers' fourth year as the starting quarterback.

"I'm going to be honest, I was not surprised," answered Favre. "The biggest surprise to me would be that he didn't do it sooner.

"My last year in Green Bay, prior to the first game, I made the remark that this was probably the most talented team that I've ever played on. And of course everyone looked up and was like, 'this guy's off his rocker.' We were very, very young; take me out of the mix and we were by far the youngest team in the league. But I could see the talent pool across the board was outstanding. Now our season kind of ended up being a reflection of that."

The Packers went 13-3 that year (2007), thanks largely to inspired play by Favre, and won the NFC North. They ultimately advanced to the NFC Championship Game and lost to the Giants after Favre's fateful overtime INT, his final pass as a Packer as it turned out, set up New York's game-winning FG.

"We came close, and I think we took a lot of people by surprise," Favre continued. "But guys emerged rather quickly. Aaron had a chance ... even though the last couple years it's seemed like he's almost a rookie, he's been around awhile. And I'd like to think that he watched, he learned, and then when he got a chance to play, he brought in his ability -- which is obviously very good or they wouldn't have drafted him in the first round."

Rodgers has admitted that his relationship with Favre was frosty after he joined the team in 2005 as a Round 1 talent. Favre said at the time that mentoring the rookie wasn't a big priority for him. However both have said the relationship improved until Favre was traded to the Jets in the summer of 2008.

Favre talked more about Rodgers in the interview, but walked a fine line between praising him and saying he's the beneficiary of the star players around him.

"He's got tremendous talent, he's very bright and he got a chance to watch and see successful teams do it right," Favre said of his former understudy. "And so he just kind of fell into a good situation. On top of that, he's a good player. I don't think there's any pressure on him now, the talent around him is even better than when I was there.

"So I'm really kind of surprised it took him so long. In the early part of last year season, it hadn't quite clicked yet, and I didn't know it would. I just kind of figured when they hit their stride, they're going to be hard to beat. And that's what happened."

As for the retirement he took so many years to commit to, Favre said he was enjoying it. He misses playing on Sundays and the camaraderie with his teammates but is glad to be free of the stress of the NFL and the weekly grind of preparing for the next opponent.

And as to whether he made a mistake playing that final ill-fated season with the Vikings in 2010, the worst of his career statistically and one rife with injuries that snapped his historic iron man string of starts?

"I won't lie to you," Favre said, "but there has been times once that season started -- numerous times -- that I thought I shouldn't have played, this was a mistake. But then after the season was over, and maybe even before -- I think the last couple of games which I didn't play in, and it'd been years since I hadn't played and watched from the sidelines, better yet in street clothes, that was the first time I'd ever done that -- but it gave me a chance to really reflect and look around. There was no pressure to perform. I was just kind of watching.

"So I had a chance to really think and think in depth. And to be honest with you, I didn't regret coming back at that point. ... I can only assume that had I not gone back as we're sitting here today, I, maybe you, maybe other people would wonder, what if I had gone back? Would the team have been different? I don't know how they would have ended up. They may have been the same without me, maybe a little better, maybe a little worse. I don't know. But there's the problem. We don't know.

"So if I needed an exclamation point on my career, two years ago would have been a great time to walk away. I don't think anyone wouldn't have been able to say 'Hey, the guy's got something left in his tank, he probably could have played another year.' Well, you know, we know now."

Adrian Peterson 'tired of losing'

Adrian Peterson on Tuesday said the Vikings have to take it "personal" in order to rebound from an 0-3 start in which the team has blown three straight second-half leads. The star running back also can't explain why he hasn't been getting the ball as much as many would expect.

"We have to take it personal," Peterson said in an interview with ESPNRadio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning." "I'm tired of losing, especially going to halftime with these leads. I'm sure my comrades, they feel the same way."

The Vikings have been outscored 67-6 after halftime after building a cumulative 54-7 advantage over the first two quarters of their first three games.

Peterson said Tuesday that the Vikings "know what we need to do" to turn their second-half troubles around, specifically citing the need to clean up penalties that "offensively hurt us from doing our jobs" and executing the plays that are called better.

As far as those calls involving him having the ball in his hands, Peterson didn't have an answer for why he doesn't have more touches.

"I really can't explain it," he said, going on again to say that the Vikings need to execute the plays that are called.

Peterson took the high road Tuesday, but his father, Nelson, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he can see his son is upset.

"I see the agony on his face," Nelson Peterson told the newspaper. "He was frustrated that they weren't going to him. He wanted to help them win the game. Five carries in the second half? That's 2½ carries per quarter. He thought that, with a 20-0 lead, he was ready to lead them to a victory. He's being a good sport about it, but he's upset."

Nelson Peterson went on to tell the newspaper that his son, who signed a $100 million contract extension before the season, has become the "league's highest-paid decoy."

Adrian Peterson has just one 100-yard rushing game this season -- Week 2's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the only game this season in which he has had more than 20 carries (25). He had just 16 carries in a Week 1 defeat against the San Diego Chargers and 17 in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions.

Against the Lions, he had 12 carries for 73 yards in the first half but had only five carries (excluding a 14-yard gain negated by penalty) in the second half. And on a key fourth-and-1 run in the fourth quarter, Toby Gerhart got the ball instead of Peterson and failed to convert. The Lions, who trailed 20-0 at halftime, went the other way after stopping Gerhart and tied the game before winning by three points in overtime.

Coach Leslie Frazier vowed Monday to focus this week on ensuring that Peterson remains an integral part of the offense in second halves.

"I have to remind myself of this: Even if Adrian gets stopped for negative gain or two yards because they've got so many people at the line of scrimmage, he's such a great player that even against eight-man fronts he can still make something happen," Frazier said. "You can't ever forget that."

The Vikings visit the also-winless Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.

Brady to Patriots fans: 'Start drinking early' (water?)

QB Tom Brady doesn't want a wine-and-cheese crowd for the Patriots' home opener Sunday afternoon vs. the Chargers.

But did he really want a water-and-cheese-crowd?

"Start drinking early," he advised Pats fans Wednesday via reporters. "It's a 4:15 game. They have a lot of time to get lubed up, come out here and cheer for the home team."

Brady later made a postscript to his comments via a team spokesman, who said the 2010 MVP "wants everyone to drink a lot of water, stay hydrated. Drink responsibly."

The Patriots will be playing a meaningful game in front of the home fans for the first time since their divisional playoff loss to the Jets in January.

"The crowd, it always helps when they're loud, but we have to give them reasons to be loud," said Brady. "We have to give them reasons to cheer for us."

Dolphins cut Patriots' 99-yard TD victim

In the wake of Tom Brady's franchise-record 517-yard scorching of the Dolphins Monday night, Miami has released CB Benny Sapp, his agent tweeted.

The eight-year veteran was the victim of Brady's 99-yard scoring pass to WR Wes Welker, which tied the NFL record for longest play from scrimmage.

Sapp started six games last year for Miami and picked off two passes.

The departure of Sapp leaves Nolan Carroll and rookie Jimmy Wilson as the Dolphins' backup cornerbacks. Starters Vontae Davis and Sean Smith were also beaten repeatedly by the Patriots.

Miami will look to shore up its defensive backfield with WR Andre Johnson and the Houston Texans up next.