GREEN BAY, Wis. -- If the newest quarterback of the Green Bay Packers happens to play a bit like Brett Favre, there's a perfectly good explanation as to why.
In the seventh round of the NFL Draft, the Packers selected B.J. Coleman out of Tennessee-Chattanooga. It was prior to the draft that Coleman was trained by Favre, who is remembered in Wisconsin as much for the drama that surrounded his leaving Green Bay -- and eventually playing for the bitter division rival Minnesota Vikings -- than the Super Bowl that he helped deliver to the Packers in 1996.
Coleman, perhaps unaware that the name "Favre" brings about as much animosity in and around Green Bay as it does gleeful memories, spoke very fondly of his mentor.
"You're talking about an awesome legend," Coleman said of Favre. "What an awesome experience for me to be a part of his legacy."
There is no debate that Favre was a great quarterback in Green Bay for 16 consecutive seasons, winning three Most Valuable Player awards and breaking the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns mark. So there is plenty of good that Coleman can take from Favre's remarkable career. However, Favre is also the NFL's all-time leader in interceptions thrown, and his "gunslinger" mentality would got him in plenty of trouble.
But that didn't stop Coleman from taking in all of Favre's advice.
"Every second I was with him you can learn something new," Coleman said. "Just from the mental aspect of the game, just picking up different coverages, and just the subtle things. The physical stuff, talking about how playing quarterback. It's just endless. He's one of the best. He'll go down as one of the greatest.
"To have the opportunity to speak with him and work with him was excellent."
The connection between Favre and Coleman is that they share the same agent, Bus Cook.
So, with Coleman preparing for the draft, Cook brought him down to Favre's hometown of Hattiesburg, Miss. Throughout all of January and February, Favre would stop by a local high school and work out with Coleman, totaling approximately 10 sessions during that span.
"What a great experience," Coleman said. "What a great experience."
After being drafted by the Packers, Coleman had not yet heard from Favre.
"I'd like to have a great relationship with him," Coleman said. "We'll see. But having a guy there like Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, those are two phenomenal guys to ask."
Well, therein lies the most unique aspect to this entire quarterback triangle. When the Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 draft, Favre went on record several times stating that it's not his responsibility to mentor a young quarterback. Inadvertently, Favre spent two months earlier this year training the newest QB in Green Bay.
The relationship between Favre and Rodgers is nonexistent. While Favre has taken a few opportunities to take subtle shots at Rodgers in recent years -- such as this past season when Favre said he was surprised it took Rodgers so long to win a Super Bowl with the Packers -- Rodgers has stayed on the high road.
Whereas Rodgers was drafted to be the eventual replacement of Favre in Green Bay, Coleman will come in with far different expectations. The Packers lost their backup, Matt Flynn, in free agency to the Seattle Seahawks. After having a record-setting performance in Week 17 this past season, the 26-year-old Flynn had no reason to waste any more time sitting behind Rodgers.
But that put Green Bay in the market for a No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart. Flynn was a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2008, and now Coleman will have an opportunity to ascend in the ranks under coach Mike McCarthy, who is well known for his great development of quarterbacks.
"What a wonderful coach," Coleman said of McCarthy. "I've got a long way to go, but I'm a guy that's excited about the process. I've got a lot to learn, both mentally and physically, but with a guy like that, I believe that I can. It'll be a lot of fun. I look forward to it."
When McCarthy called Coleman to let him know to start packing his bags for Green Bay, the 22-year-old QB didn't hide his excitement. But Coleman has a lot of work to do to live up to the expectations that he placed on himself.
"He told me it's the best pick we've ever made in Green Bay, and I told him we've had some pretty good quarterbacks here," McCarthy said of his conversation with Coleman. "He was clearly the most excited young man on the phone of the eight (players we drafted).
"We're looking forward to getting our hands on him and making him a part of our quarterback room."
In addition to Rodgers, that quarterback room includes last year's third-stringer Graham Harrell and Nick Hill, formerly of the Arena League. They will be Coleman's competition for the backup spot directly behind Rodgers, the reigning league MVP.
"With the great players there, just to be a part of something so great and put on that green and gold, it's going to be like a dream come true," Coleman said.
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