Matt Flynn, drafted in the seventh round by the Packers on Sunday, will come to Green Bay as the underdog to win the No. 2 quarterback spot as he battles second-round draft choice Brian Brohm.
But Flynn is used to fighting for his spot, having played behind JaMarcus Russell at LSU for a couple of years before finally getting his chance to be a full-time starter in 2007.
Russell ended up being the No. 1 overall draft pick last year, but back at LSU, Flynn never felt he was too far behind Russell in the QB competition.
"It was a tough situation," Flynn said. "I signed (at LSU) with JaMarcus in 2003 and we came in together. Every year it was a tight battle with each other. At the end of each two-a-day it was pretty close between me and JaMarcus. I hope that helps me in the overall scheme of things in the future."
The Packers chose Flynn with the 209th overall pick, one picked up in an earlier draft-day trade with Minnesota, when Green Bay moved down from 137 to 150 in the fifth round.
Flynn got his first start at LSU filling in for an injured Russell in the 2005 Peach Bowl, at the conclusion of his sophomore season. He earned offensive MVP honors in that game, completing 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two TDs in a 40-3 LSU rout of ninth-ranked Miami.
When he finally got his chance to start full-time in 2007, he responded by throwing for 2,407 yards and 21 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, and he led the Tigers to the BCS national championship. In the title game, after missing the SEC championship with a shoulder injury, Flynn completed a season-high 70 percent of his throws (19-of-27) for 174 yards, four TDs and just one interception, earning game MVP honors in the win over Ohio State.
"We liked Matt quite a bit," GM Ted Thompson said. "He's a gamer. He's the kind of guy who just grows on you, and we think he's got a chance."
Having started only one full season in college prompted Flynn to say he believes he hasn't yet reached his potential as a quarterback.
"For sure my best football is in front of me," he said. "Hopefully I can come in and get some good reps and get some experience to help me grow as a quarterback. I hope to come in and play the best football I can and become the best quarterback I can for the Packers."
Selecting both Brohm and Flynn this weekend makes it less likely that Thompson will pursue a veteran backup quarterback between now and training camp, although he didn't rule it out. He indicated last year's No. 3, Craig Nall, would not be re-signed.
"It's an important position to shore up in terms of depth, and we feel like adding these two guys helps our team in that regard," Thompson said.
