With the NFL Draft coming up, and the football season fast approaching, it’s time to start getting out our lucky socks, favorite team gear and allow for the endless debates on which team is better to commence. As with every football season, the age-old debates on what team has a stronger defensive line, better wide receivers and a smarter coaching staff always seem to conjure up a heated argument wherever you go. But, there is one debate that seems to go down in infamy. A debate that will send avid football fans arguing at opposing fans for hours. A debate that causes more statistic memorization and defending your side than a lawyer on trial in a court room. It is the debate of all debates — who is the best quarterback?

Born and raised in Wisconsin, I learned from an extremely young age that football meant “Friday Night Lights” at the local football stadium, cheering on the high school favorites, and Sunday was explicitly set aside for “football day.” Every hometown store, business, and restaurant was desolate — completely abandoned, patiently awaiting kickoff. Being raised in Wisconsin also came with added expectations; you were expected to love cheese, understand that we are the true dairy state, and drinking responsibly really meant drinking “Wisconsinbly.” But, there is one thing that being a Wisconsinite truly embodies — when game day rolls around you cheer for one team, and only one, the green and gold — the Packers. Names like Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Reggie White, and Brett Favre are on mental lockdown. The stories associated with Bart Starr and Brett Favre that we learn only solidify their success as Packers quarterbacks from ago, but presently a new star is establishing himself quite nicely as a Packers prodigy. That star’s name is Aaron Rodgers. “A-Rodg” has made quite a name for himself, so far, under the “Pack,” making himself a contender for the best quarterback (and in man, in general) that Green Bay has seen. Granted this is a slightly bias opinion from a girl who was born and raised in Wisconsin, but nonetheless, it seems only fitting to back up my claim with 12 reasons why Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback (and man, in general), for #12 himself.

1. His Ridiculous Stats

One look at Aaron Rodger’s statistics and two words come to mind — utterly ridiculous. Now, I don’t mean ridiculous in a bad sense — I mean ridiculous in a great sense. Since Dec. 3, 2012, Aaron Rodgers has thrown fifty touchdowns at home with throwing only two interceptions. Two. Besides having an incredibly low interception rate at home, over twelve seasons in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for a total of 65 career passing interception. This averages to 5.9 interceptions per season. Also, out of every QB to play in the NFL, based on 1,500 pass attempts, Aaron Rodgers has the best touchdown to interception ratio at 4.05. Who is the runner-up? Tom Brady… coming in at a touchdown to interception ratio of 2.82. Rodgers also holds the record for yards per attempt in the Super Bowl at 8.2 yards, surpassing Steve Young at 8.0 yards. To put this in perspective, after fifteen years in the NFL, Steve Young retired with the highest passer rating and a pretty little place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rodgers has passed Young’s record for yards per attempt in only twelve seasons.

2. His Quick-Minded Decision Making

If you have ever watched a Packer game and wondered, “Wow, Rodger’s reaction time is remarkable," you are not alone. This brings us to number two of what makes Aaron Rodgers a great quarterback — his uncanny ability to make quick-minded decisions even when the pressure is at its worst. Tenths of a second matter to Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, so much so that in training camp the Green Bay Packers use a clock that’s set at 2.5 seconds and from there counts down when the ball is snapped each time. If Rodgers still has the ball in his hands when the clock hits 0.0 seconds, a siren sounds and the process begins all over again. Basically, this is the Packer’s form of a shot clock in basketball. This form of training allows Aaron Rodgers go through his progressions, finding his open man, in a fast yet methodical process.

3. Jordy Nelson

Would Batman be as well known without Robin? Every hero needs their fellow sidekick to make them look even that much better. In Aaron Rodgers’ case that man is Jordy Nelson. In 2014, Jordy Nelson left the regular season with 1,519 total receiving yards, with his longest reception being 80 yards. It takes trust between the quarterback and wide receiver to put up numbers that are that impressive, but both Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson do it effortlessly. The chemistry is undeniable. When Rodgers releases that ball and it is floating through the air, you better hope Jordy Nelson is on the receiving end.

4. Super Bowl and 2 time MVP

In Super Bowl 45, Aaron Rodgers established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 309 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Super Bowl game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011. Alongside his unbelievable game, he won Super Bowl MVP as well — a nice “cherry on top” to end the season. Winning the Super Bowl 45 MVP was an honor for Rodgers that not even Brett Favre, his predecessor, can say that he accomplished under his time as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Closing the season with a Super Bowl win helped Rodgers solidify his spot in line next to Bart Starr and Brett Favre, who also brought championships back to “Titletown, U.S.A.” Not only is he the recipient of one MVP, but as of 2014 he is a two time MVP winner which is remarkable at the young age of 32.

5. The Charming, Pearly White Smile

What girl can resist a beautiful smile? There is something about a great smile that just makes girls melt. Maybe it’s because it indicates friendliness or maybe openness? Who knows. One thing that is for sure is Aaron Rodgers has quite the dashing smile. By no means does having a charming, pearly white smile make you the best quarterback — but it does make you a great man in general, which clearly Aaron Rodgers displays (no bias opinion intended at all). Take one look at the dashingly handsome 32-year-old man, and I guarantee you will be swept off of your feet.

6. Unconditional Love From His "Cheeseheads"

Fans standing in below zero temperatures, shirtless, covered in only green and yellow body paint with the accompanying cheesehead hat means only one thing — dedication. Yes, we do it for the love of the game, don’t get us wrong, but we also do it for the love of the players. We have a long lineage of being dedicated fans due to the fact that we are the oldest team in the NFL, but that doesn’t diminish our love for new players and for our present QB. We live, and we die by Aaron Rodgers ability to execute major plays. No matter if we win or lose, we still love our quarterback. We have his back through the hottest training camp days in August right up to the blizzards in December and January. As fans, we know how hard Rodgers works — and that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. We love him unconditionally.

7. The "Dad-Bod"

Yes, “the dad bod,” the slowly increasing factor of males past the age of 30 when testosterone decreases that shows us all about the effects of age on the body. Aaron Rodgers is fit; coming in at 6' 2" and weighing 225 pounds, he is a fit elite NFL quarterback. Yet, he isn’t as “fit” or buff as say Cam Newton or Tom Brady. Rodgers has a little bit of pudge, but that is what makes him a great man in general. His body is self-reflective; you can be fit and exercise (even be an NFL elite quarterback) and still have some pudge around the mid-section. It doesn’t make you any less athletic, it just makes you human. It is nice to see this refreshing dose of reality, letting each one of us know we just need to learn to be comfortable in our own skin.

8. State Farm and the Discount Double Check

If you haven’t seen this by now, stop. Drop what you are doing. Immediately go to YouTube and search “Aaron Rodgers discount double check,” and you will understand why this comes in at number eight of the 12 things that make Rodgers a great quarterback and great man. The commercials are funny and awkward, a little redundant — but nonetheless, sum up perfectly what fans perceive Aaron Rodgers to be outside of football. That perception just happens to be a normal, usual guy. In the chaos that swarms around professional athletes, we don’t often take time to think they are real people. We hold their value in wins, statistics, salary, teams, but often forget that they are just like us. They live normal lives (or as normal as they can). They like to make people laugh. They like to be funny. They are just like us. Seeing Aaron Rodgers in State Farm commercials doing his signature “discount double check” dance (his touchdown dance), keeps us reminded of how pro athletes find humor like that just as funny as we do.

9. His Honesty and Drive

Rodgers has quoted in multiple interviews that a key factor to his success as a quarterback is his need to “desperately want to be coached.” He takes everything that Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Green Bay Packers, gives him to work on to heart, and puts in the time and the effort on and off the field. Rodgers, aside from his work on the field, puts in countless hours watching film. I know that every quarterback puts in his needed time in the film room in preparation for games, but it is the quarterback that does this week in week out, out of season and in season, that makes them great. He pays attention to the small details and works on strategies not only to better himself but his entire team. As if his drive wasn’t enough to make him a great QB, his honesty sure raises him to that status. In countless interviews, he remains humble saying that the “defensive line are really the people to thank” or “if I didn’t have the teammates I have, I wouldn’t be able to execute at such a high level.” Both his honesty and his drive propel him to being a top contender in the best quarterback (and man) in general.

10. His Leadership

Rodgers’ ability to lead his team through defeat humbly and win with pride and dignity is a testament to his ability to lead by example. As leader of the “Pack,” he never throws his teammates under the bus for bad performances — he takes the blame. He takes the good with the bad, an example of a true leader. He always had command of his team, his teammates listen to his changes at the line of scrimmage and with the corrections he offers to them in practice. His players know that he has their back and that he will equally do the same.

11. His Patience

Following in the footsteps of The Gunslinger (Brett Favre) is a challenge in itself, but taking the opportunity to learn and shadow in the footsteps of a Hall of Famer takes a certain amount of patience. Of course, he isn’t Favre — but that is what makes him even better. Favre lived and died with his decision making and arm. When Favre was good, the Packers were exceptional — I’m not talking perfect season exceptional, but clearly exceptional enough to win a Super Bowl. But, when he was bad — it was a plane crashing to earth, it was ugly. Crucial mistakes that shouldn’t have been made cost the green and gold “easy” wins. But when looking at Rodgers, it is hard to deny that he has had clearly more good games than bad. Patience is the key — especially when it comes to executing historical plays such as December 3, 2015.

12. December 3, 2015

At this point in the season, the Packers were looking unusually sluggish and off-balance. It seemed that no wide receivers could catch any pass Rodgers would throw, and the run game was considerably slower than usual. But on Dec. 3, 2015, that would be a day that would change the direction of morale for the Packers…and make Aaron Rodgers look like he was sent from God. It was the fourth quarter, and the Lions held the lead over the Packers with six seconds left on the clock — a shoe in to win right? Wrong. The Packers snapped the ball at their 21-yard line, and Rodger’s completed the pass. With basically no time left on the clock, the Packers did everything they could to keep the ball in play, this meant lateraling the ball around. Until, it landed again in the hands of “A-Rodg”, who was tackled at the 24-yard line. Game over. But, wait?! Devin Taylor, Lions’ player, was penalized for grabbing Rodgers’ face mask giving the Packers one last attempt to make something happen. And then it happened. When the ball was snapped, the Lions mistakenly allowed Rodgers to escape the pocket and give his receivers plenty of time to reach the end zone — giving Rodgers only one “hail mary” attempt. And a “Hail Mary” it was. Rodgers got a running start and launched the ball 65-plus yards down the field to meet Richard Rogers in the end zone. Rodgers to Rogers connection. Touchdown. Packers defeat the Lions.

While this list could be even longer, the evidence is undeniable. Aaron Rodgers makes a great case for himself for being the best quarterback. But to this girl out of Wisconsin, he is the best quarterback (and man) in general. So thank you, Aaron, for making Green Bay football even that much better to watch because whether you win or lose — you will always be a winner to us “cheeseheads.”