Quarterback Dylan Favre much more than a name for Cedar Rapids Titans

CEDAR RAPIDS – The decisions are coming quicker and better for Dylan Favre.

Five games into his rookie season with the Cedar Rapids Titans, the 24-year-old quarterback was named the Indoor Football League offensive player of the week on Wednesday, four days after a sparkling seven-touchdown performance against the perennial league champion Sioux Falls Storm.

'A lot of that is confidence and believing what I see,' said Favre, who quarterbacks the Titans (3-2) in a United Conference game against the Green Bay Blizzard Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'Trusting myself, my eyes and what I'm reading. Having an understanding of the play call, the defensive coverage or whatever it may be that we're getting. It comes with the territory, obviously. The more you rep it, the more you get to see it. The decision-making part of it has to speed up. If it doesn't, you won't be around very long.'

Favre ranks third in the IFL in both passing yards (708), passing touchdowns (15) and total touchdowns (21), but no signal-caller in the league has thrown more interceptions than his eight through five games.

The Sioux Falls game, however, provided signs of a breakthrough not just for the touchdown total and the important victory, but for being interception-free.

'He's coming a long way,' first-year Cedar Rapids Offensive Coordinator Dixie Wooten said. 'He's understanding the game, he's taking real crucial coaching and he's stepping up. As the quarterback goes, the offense goes.'

Through his football journeys from a Mississippi high school state champion to an up-and-down collegiate career that began at Mississippi State and ended at Tennessee-Martin, Favre received added attention because of his last name and the position he plays. While he appreciates the interest those outside the organization have in his connection to his uncle, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, he has never let it define who he is as a man nor a quarterback.

'I'm my own man,' Favre said. 'I don't try to be anyone else and very rarely have I ever had a teammate or a coach ever even mention it. They know me as Dylan, obviously my last name is Favre but other than that, I'm just a guy trying to play ball out here like everyone else.'

After college, Favre believed his football career was likely over until a former Mississippi State teammate suggested he look into a spot on Team USA in the International Federation of American Football world championships, a tournament of teams from all over the globe. An MVP performance in the gold medal game jump-started his professional career.

'It really just came down to another opportunity to play the game that I love and compete at a high level,' Favre said. 'And prove to myself that I could play at a high level again like I knew I was able.'

Green Bay (1-4) is led by quarterback Matt Behrendt, who leads the IFL with 19 touchdown passes, including seven to former Cedar Rapids receiver Bryan Pray.

Cedar Rapids is in fourth place in the conference behind a pair of 3-1 teams (Iowa and Billings), plus Sioux Falls (4-1).

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com