Three seasons ago, with Brett Favre still at quarterback, the Green Bay Packers traveled to Dallas and Favre’s personal house of horrors, old Cowboy Stadium, to take on “America’s team.”

Favre struggled mightily as he had several times before in Big D, throwing two picks in 14 attempted passes and only five completions to his own receivers. In the second quarter, he took a blindside shot from cornerback Nate Jones, separated his left shoulder and left the game.

Enter Aaron Rodgers.

Up to that point, the 2005 first-round pick disappointed in his limited opportunities. He had completed less than 50 percent of his throws in mop-up duty during games in which the Packers were getting blown out by the Ravens in 2005 and the Patriots and Eagles in 2006.

But on this November night in 2007, after 201 passing yards and a serious comeback push against the best team in the league that year, Rodgers made an entire fan base and front office raise their eyebrows, scratch their chins and say, “Hey, we might have something here.”

It’s only fitting that, in the same city where Rodgers showed his capability to take the reins in Green Bay and the same city where his predecessor played some of his worst games, the current Packer quarterback achieved the greatest victory a football player can experience.

Rodgers’ sharpness Sunday night could’ve punctured a suit of armor. Had his receivers not dropped so many passes, we would’ve witnessed one of the greatest passing performances in Super Bowl history.

The defense also did its job, despite losing two of their five most important secondary players for big chunks of the game, forcing three turnovers that became 21 of the 31 Packer points.

The significance of the win for Rodgers is undeniable.

The Favre specter has finally been exorcised once and for all. Rodgers avoided the ringless fate suffered by Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton. And with the bright lights on him, he showed that he’s a big-time quarterback with 13 touchdowns to three interceptions in five career postseason games.

All the other Packers have plenty of their own reasons to celebrate, too.

The three Packers who’ve paid the most dues, Donald Driver, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, finally cashed in their good Packer karma.

Nick Barnett’s and Jermichael Finley’s respective “XLV or Die” t-shirts and “Year of the Takeover” social media campaigns built the hype around this team back in August and kept the train rolling even after hitting the injured reserve list.

Charles Woodson completed his transformation from “talented guy sleeping in team meetings” in Oakland to “unquestioned team leader” in Green Bay and joined Tony Dorsett and Reggie Bush as the three guys in history with a Heisman Trophy, NCAA National Championship win and Super Bowl victory.

The methods of general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy, who took flack from here to Minocqua every week since 2005 for their philosophies of team-building and playcalling, were finally justified.

And, as with anything that happens with the Packers, this championship’s also about the entire state of Wisconsin.

Even fans who wanted Thompson’s and McCarthy’s heads on stakes at the Green Bay-Ashwaubenon border.

Even fans who still weren’t sure if transcending the Favre was the right thing to do.

Even fans who waved the white flag after the Detroit loss and the 61-yard kickoff return by 311-pound Patriot Dan Connolly. It’s for all of them.

And for Bears fans: enjoy your division championship gear. Patriots fans: enjoy your unanimous league MVP and coach of the year. Troy Polamalu: enjoy your Defensive Player of the Year award.

Rodgers, the Packers and all their fans will enjoy the Lombardi Trophy today as it parades down the avenue of the same name in Titletown. Hopefully, there’s a season starting next September so Green Bay can go for the repeat.