Despite his long and storied career, we all know that Brett Favre has one only a single Super Bowl during his time in the NFL. He’s made numerous playoff appearances, but has only once been able to seal the deal.

But what if Favre had been teamed with Barry Sanders?

Yes, that Barry Sanders. And the scary thing is, it could have happened.

Let’s hop into the Way-Back machine for a visit to the 1989 NFL Draft. Green Bay, with the second overall pick, selected Michigan State lineman Tony Mandarich. Hailed by Sports Illustrated as “the best offensive line prospect in history”, the Canadian native figured to make an immediate impact on the Green Bay roster.

That is, until Mandarich entered a protracted contract holdout, finally agreeing to a deal just before the start of the season. He spent much of the year mired in the Packers’ special teams unit, where his attitude and work ethic continued to earn him the ire of Green Bay fans. Eventually, he was let go upon “fulfilling” his 4-year, $4.4 million contract.

It has since been revealed that the young lineman owed much of his physical attribute to the use of performance enhancing drugs. While he claims to have been clean since just before the ‘89 NFL Combine, his addiction to painkillers ruled a large portion of his life.

But surely you can’t blame the Packers’ general manager for making a bad selection. There must have been other players who flopped after the ‘89 draft.

And yes, there were. But here’s a look at the other top five picks.

1. Troy Aikman, QB – Hall of Fame
2. Tony Mandarich, OL
3. Barry Sanders, RB – Hall of Fame
4. Derrick Thomas, LB – Hall of Fame
5. Deon Sanders, C – 8 All-Pro Selections

Puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? Favre fanatics can only shake their heads, wondering what may have been.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | Michigan state football, Michigan State lineman, Tony Mandarich