The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • C3

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Irvin Favre died Sunday night after suffering a heart attack while driving near his home in Kiln, Miss. Brett Favre was in Oakland with the rest of the team at the time of death. Favre used to joke that he became a great quarterback in spite of his father, who was his high school coach and never let him throw much. Irvin Favre coached his son at Hancock North Central High School in Kiln. He said he knew Brett had a great arm, but he also had an abundance of good running backs.

So, for the three years Brett was the starting quarterback, Hancock North ran the wishbone. always told my dad the wishbone would never get me to pro Favre cracked after winning an unprecedented third straight NFL MVP award in 1997. Having a father as his high school coach had its benefits and drawbacks, he said. he was harder on me than he was on other kids, and I probably got mad about it at the Favre said back then. they all had to wait until the next day to get more coaching.

I got it all the time. We talked football on the way home from practice, we talked football at suppertime, we talked football before bed. We talked football when we got up in the morning. talked football all the And it paid off, Irvin Favre said before his son won the Super Bowl following the 1996 season. He said Brett had a great memory to go with his great arm and he put all that advice into action.

your dad is the coach, you get extra coaching whether you want it or Favre said. had a huge influence on my career and in my Favre and his father remained close, with Irvin Favre attending many Packers games both at home and away over the years. His father once flew back to Green Bay from a playoff game in St. Louis, and passengers around him were surprised he traveled in coach and not first-class. After all, his son was the first NFL player to sign a $100 million contract.

thinks rich because Irvin Favre said. money. He earned it. He should keep it. I just enjoy watching him play and knowing I taught him some of what he Brett Favre was coached by his father in high school but get to throw much.

MOST CAREER TD PASSES 1. Dan Marino420 2. Brett 3. Fran Tarkenton342 4. John Elway300 through two quarters of game.

NFL ASSOCIATED PRESS The NFL set part of its playoff schedule Monday, including a possible prime-time repeat of the January 2002 snowfest in New England. A second-round AFC game is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. The Patriots (132) have secured a bye and will be at home that weekend. They could be scheduled for that game, which would inspire reminiscing about the overtime victory over Oakland in a blizzard that helped propel the Patriots to the Super Bowl title.

The other AFC second- round game will be at 1 p.m. Jan. 11. The NFC games that weekend will be at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

On Jan. 18, the AFC championship game will be played a 3 p.m. with the NFC title game at 6:30. In the wild-card round, neither gametime for Jan. 3 has been set.

On Jan. 4, the NFC game will be at 1 p.m. and the AFC game at 4:30. Around the league CARDINALS: Not even a visit Sunday from former teammate Pat Tillman who retired in 2002 to join the Army Rangers, could provide enough inspiration to prevent a 28-10 loss to Seattle. RAVENS: Jamal Lewis needs 154 rushing yards to break Eric Dickerson season record of 2,105 and could get ample opportunity.

going to need every bit of whatever number he needs to get the record to beat the Pittsburgh coach Brian Billick said. got to run 50 times on Sunday to win run 50 SAINTS: Coach Jim Haslett met with John Carney about the missed extra point that ended the chances for a playoff berth. something that going to have to deal Haslett said. think John can overcome it and be better for it. going to need help from his teammates and coaches.

But everybody believes in him and thinks a good Starting times set up for most of playoffs While Georgia is not heading to Orlando until Friday, Purdue, its opponent in the Capital One Bowl, arrives today. the earliest the Boilermakers, making their seventh consecutive bowl trip, has left for a Jan. 1 game. coming out of this type of climate, you want to leave as soon as you Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. had snow here for weeks.

The opportunity to get in a warmer climate, we think going to be important from a condit- ioning point of After a welcoming session tonight at the Peabody Hotel, the No. 12-ranked Boilermakers (9-3) will practice twice Wednesday. then have two days off visiting Disney-MGM Studios and the Magic Kingdom before resuming workouts Sunday. Tiller said Purdue be 100 percent for the game with starting tight end Jeff Bennett returning from a broken wrist. Chip Towers Boilermakers show up early By MATT WINKELJOHN Flowery Branch Falcons interim coach Wade Phillips cut back on practice last week, giving beleaguered players a chance to rest their legs and souls.

He also played shrink to a group coming off an atrocious 38-7 loss at Indianapolis, telling them there could be worse things going on in their lives than a miserable season. The payoff came Saturday: The Falcons played with passion in a 30-28 upset victory at Tampa Bay. Before that game, he suggested to players that they dedicate the game to someone, anyone. Turns out Phillips had some special motivation of his own. He said Monday that he dedicated the game to the late Gordon Wood coaching who passed away last week.

At one time, Wood was the winningest high school coach in national history, building an empire in Brownwood, Texas. talked to our players about how he won 396 games and what it Phillips said. played the way Gordon would have liked them to Change in plans Having played on Saturday instead of Sunday, and because of the Christmas holiday Thursday, players were off Sunday and Monday and will practice today, which is usually their day off. also practice Wednesday, then get a day off on Christmas. Extra incentive? The Falcons (4-11) will have a little something to shoot for in season finale against Jacksonville (5-10).

be trying to avoid the worst home record in franchise history. Atlanta is 1-6 in home games this season. The Falcons were 1-6 at home in 1966, the year the team was born, and In those days, the NFL schedule was 14 games. Atlanta has never gone 1-7 at home, Injury report Special teams player Travis Jervey chances of playing Sunday are limited. He suffered a severe neck sprain against the Bucs and might end up on injured reserve.

If the injury had happened earlier in the season, Jervey might be able to play in a week or two. But with one game left, placing him on injured reserve would allow the Falcons to sign a player off their practice squad, or another practice squad, to keep him from becoming a free agent for a couple of months. He said it think Michael Vick was really patient, which is what we ask him to Phillips, speaking of work Saturday, when he completed a modest 8 of 15 passes for 119 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks. Free Birds? The pending unrestricted free agents (nine) are safeties Keion Carpenter and Gerald McBurrows linebackers Twan Russell and Artie Ulmer cornerback Juran Bolden Jervey, guard Travis Claridge quarterback Doug Johnson and tight end Brian Kozlowski The pending restricted free agents (six) are guards Kynan Forney and Roberto Garza linebackers Matt Stewart and Karon Riley tight end Sean Brewer and kicker Jay Feely Next year In addition to home and away games against NFC South rivals New Orleans, Carolina and Tampa Bay, the Falcons next season will play every team in the NFC West (Arizona and St. Louis, at Seattle, at San Francisco) and every team in the AFC West (Oakland and San Diego, at Kansas City, at Denver).

As the last-place team in the division, also play against the last-place team in the NFC North (Detroit) and the last-place team in the NFC East (at the Giants). FALCONS REPORT Dedication shows in victory CURTIS COMPTON Staff Interim coach Wade Phillips got the Falcons thinking in a more positive way for the game in Tampa Bay. Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars When; where: 1 p.m. Sunday; Georgia Dome TV; radio: CBS; WZGC-FM (92.9) NEXT FOR FALCONS N.C. STATE 56, KANSAS 26 Rivers sets records in Tangerine ASSOCIATED PRESS Philip Rivers made sure North Carolina disappointing season and his record-setting career ended on a winning note.

The ACC player of the year threw for Tangerine Bowl records of 475 yards and five touchdowns Monday night in Orlando, leading the Wolfpack to a 56-26 rout of Kansas. The Wolfpack (8-5) drove 64, 68 and 97 yards on their first three possessions to build a 21-7 lead. Rivers led an 88-yard drive in the third quarter, then broke the game open by taking advantage of a blocked punt to put the Wolfpack ahead 42-17 less than nine minutes into the second half. Richard Washington scored on receptions of 45 and 14 yards, and Jerricho Cotchery caught 13 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown. T.A.

McLendon scored three times, on a 3- yard reception and runs of 1 and 26 yards. Rivers, the career passing and total offense leader, was 21-for-24 for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. He finished 37-for-45 for his fifth 400- yard game this season. Coach Chuck Amato removed Rivers midway through the fourth quarter after his final completion gave him the Tangerine Bowl yardage record. Kansas (6-7) fell short in its bid to finish with its first winning record since 1995, the last time the Jayhawks appeared in a bowl game.

TCU suspends five TCU starting center Chase Johnson and four little-used freshmen were suspended from Fort Worth Bowl against Boise State. Johnson missed curfew at the team hotel Saturday night; the others violated unspecified team rules. NC STATEKANSAS First downs3428 Rushes-yards22-17240-220 Passing481243 Comp-Att-Int38-46-020-42-2 Return Yards8813 Fumbles-Lost0-00-0 Penalties-Yards9-869-75 Time of INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing: North Carolina State, McLendon 7-72, Hall 3-40, R.Davis 5-28, Rivers 3-20. Kansas, Green 14-87, Whittemore 17-84, Gordon 3-36, Simmons 1-9. Passing: North Carolina State, Rivers 37-45-0-475, J.Davis 1-1-0-6.

Kansas, Whittemore 20-41-2-243, Green 0-1-0-0. Receiving: North Carolina State, Cotchery 13-171, Washington 7-97, McLendon 7-44, Clark 5-90. Kansas, Rideau 9-109, Gordon 4-73, Green 3-30, M.Johnson 2-21. NCState Kansas First Quarter NCS: Washington 45 pass from Rivers (Kiker kick), 13:58. Kan: Gordon 23 pass from Whittemore (Brooks kick), 10:41.

NCS: Washington 14 pass from Rivers (Kiker kick), 8:43. NCS: McLendon 1 run (Kiker kick), 1:23 Second Quarter Kan: FG Brooks 28, 1:23. NCS: McLendon 3 pass from Rivers (Kiker kick), :45. Third Quarter Kan: Green 11 pass from Whittemore (Brooks kick), 10:45. NCS: Clark 40 pass from Rivers (Kiker kick), 7:24.

NCS: R. Davis 10 run (Kiker kick), 6:03. Kan: FG Beck 39, 3:42. Fourth Quarter Kan: Whittemore 9 run (pass failed), 14:18. NCS: Cotchery 21 pass from Rivers (Kiker kick), 12:57.

NCS: McLendon 26 run (Kiker kick), 10:06. Attendance: 26,482. RSPT1223OC3FSPT1223OC3 4 Star 3C 3C RR RR BlueRedYellowBlack Blue RedYellowBlack C3 4 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003.