Ex-Hawkeyes B.J. Lowery, Marvin McNutt reunite with Cedar Rapids Titans

CEDAR RAPIDS - When Marvin McNutt agreed to coach the Cedar Rapids Titans, his first call was to a college teammate.

Former University of Iowa defensive back B.J. Lowery - who played for the Titans two years ago - was mulling his options after being waived by the NFL's Denver Broncos just before the start of the 2016 season.

'This is my guy, Marvin McNutt, all-time great,” Lowery said. 'Why not? I'll give it another shot.”

Lowery's Cedar Rapids return coincides with McNutt's coaching debut, which occurs Saturday when the Titans host the Iowa Barnstormers in an Indoor Football League preseason game at 7:05 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We've got a great group,” McNutt said. 'Real strong values … want to get after it and get better. We've got a lot of guys that want to get extra work all the time and just want to be better.”

McNutt and Lowery were teammates with the 2010-11 Iowa Hawkeyes, seasons that both ended with Insight Bowl appearances. McNutt spent three years in the NFL with four franchises, while Lowery was invited to a 2013 Kansas City Chiefs minicamp.

After helping the Titans reach the 2015 IFL playoffs, Lowery received a second NFL chance with the Broncos. But following spring workouts, Lowery hyperextended his left knee during a pickup basketball game at his Cincinnati high school. The injury left him gimpy when he reported for summer training camp.

'When I got out there I was kind of hush about it because I didn't want to be ‘that guy' to get out there and start complaining and get released just coming out there,” Lowery said. 'They didn't invest too much in me, of course. So I didn't want to get out there and just get released right off the bat, so I just kind of fought through it and made the best out of what I could do.”

Despite the ailing knee, Lowery - along with former Iowa tight end Henry Krieger-Coble - managed to hold onto a roster spot until the final round of cuts five days before the start of the regular season.

As he fully regained his health, Lowery entertained offers from outdoor leagues in Europe and Australia, but ultimately decided that a return to Cedar Rapids was the best route for either an NFL return or pursuits beyond football.

'I'm 25 now, I'm not getting any younger,” Lowery said. 'My days are limited. I just want to capitalize on my abilities and network and be able to talk to other people while I am out here where I can set myself up for the future.”

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com