Brett Favre talks pain-killer addiction and CBD endorsement Tom Brady Aaron Rodgers and more

A decade after he walked away from the game he loved, Brett Favre is still one of the most recognizable faces from the NFL. Favre, who turned 50 last October, is enjoying the retired life on his 465-acre ranch in Sumrall, Mi si sippi -- he stays busy taking care of the ranch, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback still has time for golf once a week.NFL fans have certainly seen Favre on television since his playing days, usually in the Wrangler jeans commercials or throwing pa ses to Jerry Rice in Copper Fit ads. Favre has entered a new busine s venture as an amba sador for Green Eagle, which offers a CBD product Hassan Whiteside Jersey line for pain relief. CBD is a naturally occurring substance that's used in products like oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm.Favre, who once was addicted to pain relief medications during the prime of his career in the mid-1990s, shared his story in an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com. He also discu sed his playing career, his life at 50, , and Andy Reid.First off Brett, thanks for taking the time. Could you explain your involvement with Green Eagle?Favre: "So about six to eight months ago, Joesph (Smadja, the CEO of Green Eagle) reached out to a friend to get to me about his product. Like most people, I hear CBD -- it's like THC, it's a drug. I listened to what Joseph had to say and they (Green Eagle) were very succe sful in France and he stated very clearly France is ahead of the United States in the CBD market."With that being said, you can't go anywhere (here) without seeing a CBD store or some product that's not CBD related -- it has taken off. Now, he just wanted me to be a spokesman and endorse a product. I needed to use it first and I was pleasantly surprised. Keep in mind, this is the same as Copper Fit (laughing). People ask me, does that really work? Everything has its limitations and the Green Eagle pain relieving gel -- if you got chronic tendonitis in your right elbow that flares up from time to time -- it works perfect on that. Charley horse or spasms, it works fine. So I was pleasantly surprised."We've seen the risk of THC and its effects on the body with pain relievers. You can get mentally unstable with some of this stuff. I gue s what you're taking is the opposite of that?Favre: Absolutely. It's 100% drug free. As a matter of fact, I'm still learning. I didn't realize the body reacts to some of the chemicals in CBD -- the healing qualities -- I didn't realize that was the case. I'm not a science guy, that's not my expertise (laughing), but I can speak volumes Jason Williams Jersey on the risk of taking pain medication.'Three different times I spent time in drug rehab and had a severe addiction to pain killers and had two seizures, so I'm definitely an advocate for non-addictive pain relievers and this is one of them.Do you wish you had this (Green Eagle product) back in your playing days? I think it was 1995, 1996 when you had the seizures.Favre: "So basically the seizures were a result of not sleeping. I was taking 15 Vicodin ES every night. I took them all the time -- in season, out of season, it didn't matter -- I was addicted. It kept me up. A normal person takes two Vicodin ES, so they are out like a light and don't feel anything. Well it did the adverse effect to me, it felt good and I stayed up all night and never slept."I probably slept an hour a night and vastly at that. Basically my brain short circuited is how the neurologist explained it to me. I really wish there was a different alternative at the time."Was that just something that was prescribed to you at the time?Favre: "Well, I took two for a while and graduated up to 15. So after a game, if you had something bothering you (taking Vicodin) wasn't uncommon -- it was legal. Whether it was Vicodin or Percocet or whatever. When the two didn't work, I asked somebody else to get two more. And when four didn't work, so I was just going to the guys and getting more and more pain pills. The guy that gave me two, he didn't know I was getting two from the next guy. That's how it worked back then."How did you fight it?Favre: "I haven't taken a pain pill since 1997. Anything. In fact, i had my wisdom teeth cut out the year after I quit taking pain meds and the doctor said 'What kind of pain meds you want?' and I said 'I can't take any.' He said back, 'No one has their wisdom teeth cut out without pain medication.' I said 'Well, I'm going to be the first one.' I'm telling you, it was hard.You were able to play for 13 more years without pain medication. How were you able to handle that?Favre: "The closest thing I took to a pain medication was Motrin and I just -- sucked it up. I knew I couldn't take them. Believe me it wasn't easy to get off of and that's why I spent three different stints in rehab. It was hard, it was very hard, but when I finally got several months behind me without pain meds, it slowly and surely got better. There Willie Cauley-Stein Jersey would be times where I was tempted, but I just never did and now I'm well over it -- the need or want to take something."You still continue to live a very active lifestyle since you retired. What do you do to stay in that peak physical shape?Favre: "I'm more active, but it's different. I bike probably about 130 miles a week and I'll probably be doing this again this year, but in the fall I'll start training for a half marathon. Me, my wife, and my daughter if we decide to do it -- that will be our fourth straight year. If you would have told me I was going to run a half marathon when I retired or bike 5,000 miles a year, I would have said you're crazy. I'm probably more active at 50 then when I played."People say to me all the time ' Jahmi'us Ramsey Jersey Hey you look like you can still play.' It does make me feel good."I can't imagine doing all this at 50!Favre: "I enjoy it. I get aches and pains, probably like anyone at 50. I can't complain, because I'm doing basically what I want to do."Do you think you could still play football?Favre: Oh, I could play -- but I couldn't get hit. There's no way. My body would just give out. As far as throwing, and I tell people this about (Tom) Brady. His game is different than mine. He doesn't move around and he never was a mobile quarterback, so his game is different. If you can protect him, he can play as long as he wants. My game, I didn't move around as well as I did (earlier in my career) in the last two or three years."I didn't trust my legs. I bought time throughout my career with my legs. My legs are strong and athletic as ever, but they are 50 years old and I can't get away from the guys. From that aspect I couldn't play, but just from a throwing aspect, sure."I was impre sed when you were balling with the at 40. When you were getting to that point, what were you telling yourself to prepare for the year? You told me you weren't scrambling as much at that point.Favre: I'll tell you, that was hard. It's hard to train your mind differently than what it's used to. Trying to be a pocket pa ser was very difficult for me to do because I always wanted to -- the first sign of a guy that put the least bit of pre sure, I wanted to move and escape (from the pocket). I was able to do that a little bit, but the good thing was when I was in Minnesota was Darrell Bevell (then the Vikings offensive coordinator) -- who was a good friend, but also a longtime coach of mine -- he did a good job of calling plays that sort of, kept me within my wheelhouse."We called some bootlegs, but we weren't doing sprint-outs each week. So it was selective play calling that let me stay in my comfort zone. It's hard to tell yourself to stay in the pocket when you are so used to making so many plays outside of the pocket."Do you still keep in touch with ( head coach) Doug Pederson? I know you guys are really close.Favre: "His wife, Jeannie, just was talking to my wife yesterday. In fact, I think they found a place down in Jupiter, Florida -- a getaway place. We stay in contact often. He's one of my all-time great friends."That friendship just carried over to your post-playing career, which led to you speaking to the Eagles prior to Super Bowl LII. Richaun Holmes Jersey Can you reiterate what you said to them?Favre: "I was honored when he asked, just like when ( head coach) Andy Reid asked me this past year. By the way, I'm 2-for-2 (in Super Bowl speeches). I'm going to have to start charging next time (laughing)!"Basically what I told both groups is to enjoy the moment and really try to give them a fast track on what to expect. Spend the time leading up to the game and vision making plays and seeing yourself mak