A viral video has resurfaced of former NFL player Mark Gastineau confronting Brett Favre at a 2023 memorabilia event. The confrontation reportedly took place over 20 years after Favre’s game in 2001, where he was sacked by Michael Strahan to break Gastineau’s single-season sack record.
In a statement issued through social media, Favre aimed to “clear the air” on the footage, explaining that his actions were not intended to hurt Gastineau.
“I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game,” Favre wrote. “I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down. The game was over. There was no need for me to do anything spectacular. It probably wasn’t Michael’s best sack or tackle for loss. In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL. But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau.”
Favre continued by acknowledging the impact of the record-breaking sack on Gastineau’s legacy and the acknowledgement of Strahan’s achievement.
Favre stated that he had no way of knowing how Gastineau felt, and that his actions were not intended to diminish the “Sack King’s” value.
“I had no way of knowing that then,” Favre wrote. “There was no malice on my part. Mark was a great player. My understanding is he’s a great guy and a fun teammate, a guy who played with the kind of joy and passion I tried to mimic. I understand his frustration, but I’m not his enemy.”
In the same statement, Favre also addressed Gastineau’s recent appearance in an upcoming documentary, in which he accused Favre of taking a “dive” for Strahan. Favre disputed these claims, stating that it was a private moment of frustration between old football players.
“I hope this controversy brings attention to just how great Mark Gastineau was. He belongs in Canton.”