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BILOXI — The father of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre died Sunday after possibly suffering a stroke or heart attack while driving his pick-up truck near the family's home in Kiln.
Irvin Favre, the former longtime Hancock North Central High School football coach, was 58.
The heart attack or stroke happened after he left Favre's on the Bayou, a family-owned restaurant in Kiln.
"It's just a shock to us," Scott Favre, his son, said Sunday night. "Nobody knows what to think right now."
The visitation and funeral services are set for Tuesday although the times have not been finalized.
The family indicated that three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre will play tonight against the Raiders in Oakland. Family members encouraged Favre, who has an NFL record 204 consecutive starts at quarterback, to play in the game.
Brett Favre's agent, Hattiesburg lawyer Bus Cook, said he had yet to talk to the star quarterback Sunday night but guessed what Irvin Favre would have wanted his son to do.
"Knowing Irvin, and how much he loved football and enjoyed watching his boy play — as much as he bragged on him — Irvin not only would want, but insist, that Brett play," Cook said.
"I think — no, I know — that he would want him to play."
Irvin Favre drove off Mississippi 603 at 5:23 p.m. near Kiln. Favre ran into a ditch, said Sgt. Joe Gazzo of the Mississippi State Highway Patrol.
"It didn't appear that the accident was serious enough to cause him to be unconscious, so that leads us to believe that a medical condition was what caused him to go off the road," Gazzo said.
Irvin Favre was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.
An autopsy will be performed.
"First, the witnesses, then the ambulance, and then at the hospital they tried to revive him," Gazzo said. "It's going to be a great loss to the community; he was a great guy."
Irvin Favre coached high school football and baseball. He guided St. John High School to its only state championship in baseball in 1970, then later coached all three of his sons in football at Hancock North Central.
He coached for 28 years, 24 years in the Hancock County School System. He resigned in 1994 after turning the Hancock football program into a contender for South State honors. When he arrived at Hancock North Central in 1970, the Hawks were better known for their boys basketball program.
"At Hancock, we came from nothing to being respectable and I know that I am leaving the Hancock football program in good shape," Favre said in 1994 when he resigned.
All three of his sons — Scott, Brett and Jeff — played quarterback for him at Hancock North Central. Brett went onto star at Southern Miss, and after a brief stint in Atlanta has become one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks for the Packers.
Irvin Favre returned to coaching with the Mississippi Fire Dogs, an indoor minor league football team that played in the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. He coached the 17-1 Fire Dogs to the 2001 National Indoor Football League championship, defeating Wyoming 55-21.
Favre graduated from Gulfport High School in 1963. He played baseball at Southern Miss, lettering in 1966-67.
Irvin Favre, the former longtime Hancock North Central High School football coach, was 58.
The heart attack or stroke happened after he left Favre's on the Bayou, a family-owned restaurant in Kiln.
"It's just a shock to us," Scott Favre, his son, said Sunday night. "Nobody knows what to think right now."
The visitation and funeral services are set for Tuesday although the times have not been finalized.
The family indicated that three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre will play tonight against the Raiders in Oakland. Family members encouraged Favre, who has an NFL record 204 consecutive starts at quarterback, to play in the game.
Brett Favre's agent, Hattiesburg lawyer Bus Cook, said he had yet to talk to the star quarterback Sunday night but guessed what Irvin Favre would have wanted his son to do.
"Knowing Irvin, and how much he loved football and enjoyed watching his boy play — as much as he bragged on him — Irvin not only would want, but insist, that Brett play," Cook said.
"I think — no, I know — that he would want him to play."
Irvin Favre drove off Mississippi 603 at 5:23 p.m. near Kiln. Favre ran into a ditch, said Sgt. Joe Gazzo of the Mississippi State Highway Patrol.
"It didn't appear that the accident was serious enough to cause him to be unconscious, so that leads us to believe that a medical condition was what caused him to go off the road," Gazzo said.
Irvin Favre was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m.
An autopsy will be performed.
"First, the witnesses, then the ambulance, and then at the hospital they tried to revive him," Gazzo said. "It's going to be a great loss to the community; he was a great guy."
Irvin Favre coached high school football and baseball. He guided St. John High School to its only state championship in baseball in 1970, then later coached all three of his sons in football at Hancock North Central.
He coached for 28 years, 24 years in the Hancock County School System. He resigned in 1994 after turning the Hancock football program into a contender for South State honors. When he arrived at Hancock North Central in 1970, the Hawks were better known for their boys basketball program.
"At Hancock, we came from nothing to being respectable and I know that I am leaving the Hancock football program in good shape," Favre said in 1994 when he resigned.
All three of his sons — Scott, Brett and Jeff — played quarterback for him at Hancock North Central. Brett went onto star at Southern Miss, and after a brief stint in Atlanta has become one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks for the Packers.
Irvin Favre returned to coaching with the Mississippi Fire Dogs, an indoor minor league football team that played in the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. He coached the 17-1 Fire Dogs to the 2001 National Indoor Football League championship, defeating Wyoming 55-21.
Favre graduated from Gulfport High School in 1963. He played baseball at Southern Miss, lettering in 1966-67.