Brett Favre Says High School He Coached Was Destroyed By Weekend Tornado
By Josh Hill
Two years ago, we couldn’t hear enough about Brett Favre, but as time has passed we’ve begun to hear less and less about the former Packers quarterback and future Hall of Famer. But while we joke and roll our eyes when Favre is usually brought up, he’s relevant once again due to terrifying circumstances.
Winter Storm Orko tore through the midwest, burying some states in snow while battering others with torrential rains and even tornadoes. Favre’s home state of Mississippi was ripped by a massive tornado this weekend and the twister touched down just miles away from Favre’s home.
“Where the tornado started, as the crow flies, was probably a half-mile to 1 mile straight east of my property,” Favre said. “Then it just (veered) and crossed the main highway in Hattiesburg before heading to Southern Miss. You never hear of a college getting hit with a true tornado. The good Lord’s looking out (because) the students were gone for Mardis Gras break.”
Favre obviously isn’t familiar with the tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama campus, but we’re not going to split hairs with him here.
“It’s kind of one of those things down here. I don’t want to say we overlook it, but there are tornado warnings and bad weather all the time. To say that it was black and windy — that could be any day. At times, you just take it for granted.”
But Favre is correct when he says it’s not common that a tornado tears through a college, as the Mississippi twister did to the Southern Mississippi campus. But while the campus wasn’t battered too bad, the high school where Favre coaches was obliterated and it’s facilities were completely destroyed.
“They’re gone now, just a mangled mess,” he said. “The baseball field is just destroyed. (The community of Oak Grove) was hit the hardest. We have nothing.”
Favre helped put Oak Grove High on the map when he traveled to the school to work out before and during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. He also spent last season as an unpaid offensive coordinator for the team, but Favre says all of that is gone now — blown away by the twister.
“I know there are people out there who would like to help either by donating (money) or their time … coming down with their chainsaw,” Favre said. “Any and all (assistance) would be great.”
Favre said the facilities needed to be upgraded anyways and that he’ll be donating both time and money to help rebuild the facilities. The twister that tore through Mississippi this weekend is just another reminder of how fragile our world truly is.