Where does Brett Favre rank in your list of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game? According to Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, he's No. 2 behind Joe Montana. Favre admitted to Gary Miller on a recent appearance on ESPN's Up Close that he would be lying if he said he didn't want to be remembered as the best to play the game.

"There are great players who played this game before me and will play after me, says Favre. And to say that someday I can be considered as the greatest to play it, that's good in itself, it really is."

	Brett Favre makes a triumphant exit after leading yet another dramatic comeback.

Favre also spoke about his recent turnaround in listening to his family, giving up alcohol and putting his priorities in check.

"It wasn't like it was an overnight thing, I always knew the family was important but it was just a matter of how important."

Below is an edited transcipt of Favre's recent Up Close appearance.

Miller: Where would you rank this last-minute game-winning drive (against Tampa Bay) among the others you've had this year (vs. Oakland and Minnesota)?

Favre: Well, I keep saying week after week that I don't know if we can top our last performance, but it sure seems like we did. I tell you, we beat some great football teams in Tampa Bay, Minnesota and the Oakland Raiders, and the way we did it, it says a lot about this football team. We keep saying we can't make a living doing it that way, but yet we're 3-1 and it shows a lot of character. It ranks right up there towards the top, I just don't know how many more of those I can handle.

Miller: You guys were one of the dominant teams in the mid 90's, the favorites to win the Super Bowl that played from ahead so much, that didn't leave much opportunity for comebacks...

Favre: I think nowadays, you hear so much talk about parity in this league, I really believe it is here. I just don't see any dominant teams or one particular team from the AFC or NFC that is running away with everything. Like the Cowboys, the Packers the year we won it, San Francisco, Denver now. There's just too many good teams, too many good players, that's what everyone has been yelling for these last couple of years is to get some parity. Well I think we have it. In order to get to the big game, somewhere along the football season, you have to win a game like we won, just to build some character and bring your team closer together, because in games like that you have to rely on each other. When you're up by 30 anyone can play; when your up by 30, sometimes you take things for granted in that situation. In a game like this, every play is important. Any one particular series can cost you the game if you're not ready. You can't wait, I told our guys before the game, we can't wait like we have in the last couple of games. If we do, we'll lose. Not that we waited, but we hung in there the whole time and found a way to win it at the end.

Miller: After the Raiders game you were very emotional, what was it that made you so emotional? Was it Ray Rhodes' first game? Was it the comeback? Was it the injury to your thumb?

Favre: You know what, Gary, I think it was a combination of all those things. I have the utmost respect for Ray Rhodes as I do for Mike Holmgren. You know, I've heard the talk and I'm a part of the new era, so to speak. The last thing I wanted to do in that game is get off to a bad start, and we've been very good here at home and things looked kind of bleak there towards the end. When I hurt my thumb it was painful, as painful as anything I ever had to play through, and so that scared me that I was not going to be able to finish the game. On top of that, there was a chance we could lose our first game, this could be the start of a long season if we do not win this. Then, to win it the way we did with the injury to my thumb, it was just overwhelming. I don't think anyone expects to come out their first game and have that type of scenario just slap you right in the face. Our football team overcame it, I overcame the injury and was able to put together some decent throws at the end, the fans were going crazy and it just took me by surprise.

Miller: What's the latest with the thumb injury, that seems to get nicked up every week, after you hit it on the helmet of Russell Maryland?

Favre: I think the good news is there is no structural damage, there's no broken bones and the ligament in my thumb is still intact. The bad news is that it looks the way it looked against Oakland again, so I missed practice a week against Detroit, and it showed in my performance. We're going to do everything we can to get it back, it's back to double the size it was before yesterday's game, and it's starting to discolor again. But like I said in the press conference last night, I foresee it being like this all year long, so I'll do what I can treatment-wise. Hopefully it doesn't get any worse.

Miller: Cris Carter was on the losing end when you beat Minnesota, but he said you were the best quarterback he's played against besides Joe Montana. Is your goal by the end of your career to be known as the best quarterback in NFL history?

Favre: I guess I would be lying if I said no. I think anyone who plays professional sports or dreams of playing professional sports as a kid, how can you not think of being the best player that ever played. There are great players who played this game before me and will play after me and to say that someday I can be considered as the greatest to play it, that's good in itself, it really is. I'm really very fortunate to be able to play this game, just to line up in a Packers uniform, I think it says enough, it really does. I'm blessed to be able to go out and have people like Cris Carter say that I'm (maybe) the second best quarterback, that's still very respectful. What I try to do is give back to this game what this game has given to me. I'm still a big kid out here playing. I think anyone who's watched me play or who knows me personally can say that. I treat this game one way and I get out of it what I think I put into it. That's what it is all about and if I'm lucky enough someday to be considered as one of the best, what else can you say.

Miller: You made a decision to stop drinking alcohol about 6 months ago, you did it before the NFL season. What difference has it made for this 1999 season?

	“	I come over here every day and try to leave this building feeling like I gave it all I had and I do the same thing when I go home. ”
		— Brett Favre on his decision to give up drinking

Favre: It's made it a lot easier. To come from behind 3 out of the 4 games we've played and win, I think that tested a lot of things. To be able to handle that on and off the field shows a lot of courage for our football team and for me, because in the past after football games, all the guys would get together and drink and talk about the games and stuff like that. Now, I can't wait to go home and hold the baby and spend time with my wife, and just kind of get away from football. It's been tough the last three or four weeks; you feel better, you know you're doing the right thing, I can never think of one time where drinking did anything good for me. As long as I keep telling myself that, and wake up every morning and say 'don't you feel much better', my family is happy with the steps I've taken, what else can there be? I come over here every day and try to leave this building feeling like I gave it all I had and I do the same thing when I go home.

Miller: When you were in rehabilitation for your addiction to Vicadin, the painkiller, they told you to get off of everything, but you protested and said that drinking is different, you went against the code they told you in rehab...

Favre: Absolutely, in fact I could probably teach those classes now. I was an example that they can probably use from me today. I've got this problem, but this one I've got taken care of. You know, dependency is dependency and regardless of how extreme this one is and maybe never drank a beer, but you took pain killers before, eventually you'll probably get to something else. They were right; of course I was a lot younger, naive, thought I knew it all, and wanted to listen to me and not anyone else. It's part of growing up and trying to realize what's most important to you, and putting some priorities down on paper and saying 'am I going to live by these or am I going to just have these on the wall, but when I leave this building go and do something different.' It wasn't like it was an overnight thing, I always knew the family was important but it was just a matter of how important. I talked to (Tampa Bay Coach (Tony) Dungy last night and we were both talking about how I changed and some other things. He said 'I think it's great.' and 'we all go through some transformations from time to time, early in our careers we all think football is the most important thing: how many touchdowns you throw, how many interceptions you get, how may times you get in the paper, then you realize as you get older that that's not the most important thing, family is and what they care about.' I never thought I would be sitting here saying that, but I am. I still have a long ways to go but at least I put one foot in the right direction.

Miller: It was Reggie White Night last night in Lambeau Field, what was that like for you emotionally? He made some comments that he was working out, lifting weights, do you think he'll ever wear No. 92 again?

Favre: Well, I don't know. I tell you what, I would love to have him come back, I really would. Anyone associated with this football team, fans, media, players, coaches, how could you not want No. 92 to come back? I know he misses it, I tell you what: he could come back today and still be as good as 75% of the guys in this league. Just to have him out there on the field in uniform, you know offensive tackles around the league are going 'oh Lord, Reggie White is thinking about coming back.' I don't know, I told Reggie if he comes back it will be his third time coming out of retirement, and he said 'don't count me out.' Every time I talk to him I say 'Reggie, just come back for one game, we'd love to have you back.' He's a fun person to have in the locker room and it was sort of emotional last night. He came into the locker room before the game and said hello to some of the guys and good luck and stuff, and you miss that. He has such a presence not only in the locker room, but on the field. Time will tell, you never know with Reggie White, he can do whatever he wants to, but we would love to have him back here.