Brett Favre opened up about his longtime pal Toby Keith’s final days before his death at age 62 after a battle with stomach cancer on Monday.
The Hall-of-Fame quarterback, 54, said the legendary country crooner’s health concerned him in the days leading up to his death as the musician looked exhausted.
“I think in the end, he was just tired,” Favre told TMZ Sports. “He did say that to me when we had our conversation. He said, ‘Brett, whatever happens, I’m OK with it.’”
The former Green Bay Packers quarterback said he spoke to the “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” singer just two weeks before his death.
Favre, who said he kept in touch with Keith “every three-or-so months” following his cancer diagnosis, said that the “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” hitmaker complained about how his body was feeling following chemotherapy treatment.
Favre said he was proud of how Keith battled the deadly disease in his final days.
“He handled it with grace and faith and family,” the former NFL star, who struck up a friendship with Keith in the ’90s, said, “And stood up to the cancer about as good as you can.”
Favre recalled how the duo would take golfing trips together before his late pal’s health woes.
“I can’t remember a good or a bad shot he hit,” Favre told the outlet. “I can just remember him smiling, and had everyone hooting and hollering and having a lot of fun.”
“He was an entertainer,” Favre added. “He was the best.”
Keith’s death was announced earlier this week in a post shared on his official social media account.
“Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the post read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage. Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.”
The “Made in America” hitmaker, who revealed his diagnosis in 2021, opened up about his cancer battle just two weeks before his death.
“I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened. I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way,” he told Oklahoma’s News 9.
The crooner praised his wife, Tricia Lucus, for being “the best nurse” as he underwent treatment.
“Oh, she’s been a trouper. She’s the best nurse. The first time we went to Houston, to the hospital, she stepped right in and she just took control and said, ‘We got this. Let’s go.’ So she’s like, ‘We’re going to get this and don’t worry about it,’” he told his hometown outlet.
The music legend is survived by his wife and their three children, Shelley, Krystal and Stelen. He also leaves behind four grandchildren.