Green Bay - - Aaron Rodgers was on a beach vacation in San Diego when he was awakened by his cellphone buzzing with text messages and voice-mails with the news he had waited three years for: text message "hey a-rog bretts retiring".

"The timing, I think, surprised me," Rodgers said during a press conference heard live on 1250 WSSP-AM Saturday. 

"I thought that after we got to March, that he was probably going to come back if he hadn’t made his decision to retire. So, just the timing surprised me."

"I was tired at the time, to be honest. I was excited, but to be honest, it was just another day.

"I had plans to play golf and see my buddy in L.A., and that’s what I did. It really hasn’t, I think, completely hit me yet, because I’ve been pretty much the No. 1 guy for the last March and April and part of May until Brett gets back. Until training camp hits, it’s going to be kind of offseason as usual, but … when you think about it, it’s my time to really be the leader now that he’s retired."

"I’m always going to be compared to Brett, obviously. I think I just need to be my own quarterback, be my own man, though. And I think the most important thing on Tuesday was the texts I got from my teammates — just the encouragement. I’ve always felt like they believe in me. But just to have that reinforced by some of the text messages and calls I got was pretty special."

When Rodgers arrived backstage at Fan Fest, Aaron Kampmann was there to greet him with a long, sustained, heartfelt bear hug and whisper in his ear. Rodgers has waited for his chance with class and respect for Favre's legacy. Now, it's his turn at the plate. 

Donald Driver said it was hard to picture Favre not here. "I don't know how it's going to be like yet. Walking in here and not seeing him at Mini Camp. Then not seeing him at Training Camp. Looking four rows over in meetings, and him not being there. Then, looking back down the line (of scrimmage), and he's not there under center. It's going to be more emotional for the guys that played with him so long than anything else."

There have been rumors that Driver's working relationship with Favre toward the end of last season had become strained, reasons unknown.

I asked Driver if Favre had called him for any input on his decision. Driver said the two had not talked to each other since the season ended with the loss to New York in the NFC Championship.

GONE HUNTIN' 

Where is Favre today? 

"I got a text message from him. He's (wild) boar hunting in the Delta," said former Packers center and friend Frank Winters. "I'm like that didn't take long."

More on the Packers and fans reaction to Favre's Farewell Monday at 7:05am on the Doug Russell Show on 1250 WSSP, Milwaukee's Sports Leader. 

- Mike Clemens