MADISON, Wis. -- A Madison-area man is making an unusual attempt to persuade quarterback Brett Favre to return to the field next season.

Ben Nelms, of Merrimac, is a loyal Minnesota Vikings fan who said he knows he's in enemy territory, but he's trying to persuade the football great to return for at least one more season on behalf of all fans.

"I've been a Vikings fan since I was a kid. I haven't told any of my Wisconsin friends about this," Nelms said.

Nelms is a Missouri native who felt a pull to use the power of print to create an open letter to Favre, who left the Green Bay Packers two seasons ago and subsequently joined up with the team's archrivals, the Vikings, last year.

"I didn't want to overcomplicate it," Nelms said. "I just wanted to say, 'Look, here's one guy's thoughts.'"

Nelms' thoughts are composed in a full-page, color advertisement in the Hattiesburg American Newspaper, which reads, "Brett Favre, Thank you, bro. You made a good team great."

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that our best memory (so far) has yet to happen," the letter states. "The day when no. 4 says that 2009 was special but 2010 will be better, the day when no. 4 says he's coming back for (at least) one more year of playing hard."

The letter, which is simply signed "A Vikings fan," asks Favre to rest up and come back to the team.

"I had fun watching football last year, and he was a big part of why it was so much more fun. So, I want him to come back. It's purely selfish," Nelms said, with a laugh.

Nelms said it took him just 5 minutes to write the ad, but he said it comes from the heart. Whether Favre sees it or not, Nelms said he had to do something.

"I figure the chances of him seeing it are probably low -- 10 percent or so," Nelms said.

Yet, those are odds he was willing to accept in favor of hope.

"What if that small, miniscule chance that this would help him make a decision? It was worth it for me," Nelms said.

Nelms declined to disclose exactly how much he paid for the ad, but he did say he spent the equivalent of two to three years' worth of Vikings' seasons tickets.That would be able $2,000 to $3,000, WISC-TV reported.