Favre enjoying retirement, hasn't decided next move

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Brett Favre says while his playing days are definitely over, he hasn't decided what he's going to do with himself in the coming years.

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player hosted the "Brett Favre 7 on 7 at The Rock" football camp on the campus of Southern Miss, his alma mater, on Tuesday. He mingled with players and coaches in the nearly 100-degree heat, and occasionally squads would gather around the 41-year-old for a pep talk.

"I'm just one of the guys," Favre said. "And I enjoy it that way. If anything, that's what I want these kids to take away from this."

The 24-team camp for high school players was used to raise money for the quarterback's "Favre 4 Hope Foundation" and his "USM Brett Favre Scholarship" endowment.

Favre says he likes dealing with young players, citing their willingness to learn, but didn't want to be tied down by a full-time coaching commitment. He says he has enjoyed staying around Southern Miss but has "no plans right now and we'll see where that takes me."

Favre has made occasional appearances in his home state during the spring, including throwing out the first pitch before a game during the Conference USA baseball tournament in Pearl.

The quarterback has famously flip-flopped about his playing future in the past, retiring with the Green Bay Packers in 2008 and the New York Jets in 2009 before deciding to play again. This time, it appears he's content to be a bystander.

"It's been a long time since I watched a high school football game, or a college game for that matter," Favre said. "I kind of look forward to it."

Favre played last season with the Minnesota Vikings, but his 20th year in the league was remembered more for injuries and off-the-field turmoil than results on the field. He threw just 11 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions and his 69.9 quarterback rating was the lowest of his career.

He also was hounded with allegations that he sent lewd photos and messages to a Jets female employee when both worked for the team in 2008, and was fined $50,000 by the NFL for failing to cooperate with the investigation.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Veteran CB Hobbs hasn't decided on future after neck surgery

Many people believed Ellis Hobbs' NFL career was over seven months ago, after he suffered another neck injury, but the 28-year-old cornerback insisted Saturday that he hasn't made a decision about his future.

"All I'm doing is relaxing," Hobbs told the Boston Herald. "Because of the lockout, it's just giving me extra time to work on other things. But none of the doctors have said I need to shut it down, I need to stop playing. I myself haven't even thought about that, or going that route. I've weighed both sides of it, and I'm pretty comfortable where I am right now."

Hobbs took a hit to the helmet on the second-half kickoff during his Philadelphia Eagles' 27-17 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 21. He had full movement of all extremities and gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carted off the field.

A neck injury also ended Hobbs' 2009 season, and a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora in November that the cornerback "very likely" would retire after having his second surgery.

If Hobbs decides to play next season, he would be an unrestricted free agent. He has 225 tackles and 10 interceptions in his six-year NFL career, which he started as a New England Patriot.

If Hobbs does choose retirement, he has a backup plan. He returned to Iowa State University in 2009 to receive his bachelor's degree in art and design, fulfilling a promise to his mother after he left school seven credits short.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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