GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -When Brett Favre breaks the NFL career touchdown pass record, Green Bay Packers equipment manager Gordon “Red” Batty knows he’ll have to hustle.
His job?
Collect the record-setting football.
“In the game today, you’ve got to be able to capture those moments,” Batty said Friday. “That football is very important to Brett, to the Packers organization, but more importantly to Canton, Ohio, Hall of Fame.
“Being the equipment manager of this team, it’s under your direction to make sure you keep those things tucked away and put away in a safe place.”
Batty sprinted from the team’s sideline and jumped into a celebratory pile of players in the end zone after Favre tied Dan Marino’s record with a 57-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings in a 31-24 win over San Diego last Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Batty, 48, a Canadian who is an avid hockey player, grabbed the football from an unknowing Jennings and came out of the pile unscathed.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy also was unaware of Batty’s impromptu action until McCarthy watched a TV cut of it that is part of a highlight video from the game that will be shown to the players during a team gathering Saturday night in Minneapolis.
“I was like, ‘What the hell is Red Batty doing in there?”’ McCarthy said.
Assistant video director Chris Kirby told him, “That’s the ball that tied the record.”
“It’s pretty funny,” McCarthy said. “I’m sure everybody will get a charge out of that Saturday night. It’s pretty comical.”
McCarthy said the league was finalizing plans on how Favre’s record-breaking achievement would be recognized during the game if it occurs Sunday.
Jennings also was on the receiving end of Favre’s 400th touchdown pass early last season at Detroit.
He said his preference would be for veteran receiver Donald Driver to catch the record breaker.
“But, who knows?” Jennings added. “Hopefully, Brett can somehow throw it to himself, and that way, it’s a big uproar about who caught it.”
The first pass completion of Favre’s 17-year NFL career was to himself on a deflected throw that resulted in a 7-yard loss in a relief role for the Packers at Tampa Bay on Sept. 13, 1992.
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