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In fact, from the way coach Mike McCarthy sounded Friday following the first practice of the team’s post-draft rookie orientation camp, Favre’s locker could soon be encased in Plexiglass and he won’t be able to get into it at all.
Before Friday’s practice, it was hard not to notice that Favre’s nameplate remained above his locker, which is the first one you encounter when entering the room through the main doorway.
“Of course, when you see that name up there, you’re going to take a look at it,” said second-round pick Brian Brohm, one of two rookie quarterbacks drafted last weekend.
McCarthy said the team has “some plans” for Favre’s locker but wouldn’t divulge what they are.
Offensive lineman Korey Stringer’s locker remains preserved at the Minnesota Vikings’ practice facility, almost seven years after his 2001 heat-related death in training camp, and the Washington Redskins have done the same with the locker of safety Sean Taylor, who was murdered last season.
“I think it’s more (than) a locker,” McCarthy said. “I wouldn’t want his locker. Especially after his hygiene, my goodness.
“It’s the locker of a very special player in the history of our organization, and there’s some plans for the future. We’ll address that when it comes.”
Favre retired after 17 NFL seasons on March 4, and while his public comments since have suggested he might be considering a comeback, McCarthy said there was “nothing else to” Favre’s locker not being given away. Brohm, incidentally, is stationed next to new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Off to the races: Having grown up in Louisville and gone to college there, Brohm has been to the Kentucky Derby plenty of times over the years. But he’ll be missing today’s run for the roses. Not that he minds.
“You’ve always got to go to the Kentucky Derby. It’s tradition,” Brohm said. “But there’s no place I’d rather be than right here getting better at football.”
It takes all kinds: Taking attendance at Friday’s practice was a difficult task, with nine draft picks, 11 undrafted free agents, 19 players participating on a tryout basis and seven players from the active roster who’ve yet to accrue one NFL pension-credited season all taking part. Of course, McCarthy said the football portion was only about half of Friday’s festivities.
“That’s why we call it an ‘orientation,’” McCarthy said. “We pretty much split our day between all the administrative aspects of a professional football player (in the morning) and then we spent the afternoon on football.”
The 11 free-agent signees were wide receivers Taj Smith, Jake Allen and Rod Harper; punter Ken DeBauche; running back Kregg Lumpkin; linebackers Marcus Riley and Danny Lansanah; long-snapper J.J. Jansen; tight ends Mike Peterson and Joey Haynos; and center Brennen Carvalho.
The 19 players in for tryouts are cornerbacks Kyle Ward, Michael Medina, Tierre Green and Condrew Allen; running backs Justin Beaver and Lance Ball; safeties Matthew Harper, Marlon Fair and Brandent Englemon; fullback Louie Runnels; linebackers Durell Mapp and Josh Ferguson; center Adam Hill; tackle Ryan Considine; and defensive linemen Tui Alailefaleula, Fred Bledsoe, Ola Dagunduro, Chris Walker and Marque Fountain.
