Meylor: A QB and a Leader by Nature

By Jay Gonzales ꟾ Rattlers Media

As a quarterback his entire football career, Max Meylor has become accustomed to the added responsibility – some might call it pressure – to a lead a team on and off the field.

He came to the Arizona Rattlers a season after being named most valuable player in the IFL and taking his team to within one play of a national championship. Add that he was coming to a franchise that has high expectations and championship aspirations every season, and the pressure could have been unbearable.

Instead, Meylor has taken it in stride.

"There are different ways to lead as a quarterback," Meylor said as the Rattlers prepare for their regular-season finale Sunday at San Antonio. "There are the vocal guys and the ones that show how to run things while playing. I lean more on how I carry myself.

"I'm not always gonna be a 'rah-rah' guy. I'll say what I have to say, but I'd rather just have the guys notice how I play, notice how I act. I think that goes a long way."

Meylor, as expected with his credentials, was named the starting quarterback when the season began and started the first six games. But after a frustrating loss to Vegas that dropped the Rattlers to 4-2, he was given a seat on the bench while veteran Drew Powell took the reins of the offense for the next six games.

But after another tough loss where turnovers were a deciding factor, Head Coach Kevin Guy put the keys to the offense back in Meylor's hands. The result has been a three-game winning streak, a 17th straight playoff berth, and a 16th consecutive 10-win season for the Rattlers as they head into the playoffs.

"It was an interesting time for sure. I haven't felt like that since college," Meylor said of his time as the backup quarterback. "It was a time for me to just mentally become stronger. I couldn't show what I could do on game days, but how I led and how I acted off the field kept me in the right state of mind. I was flustered. I was a little upset, but I know it's going to make me tougher."

In the three games since returning as the starter, Meylor is 37 of 54 passing for 453 yards, 11 touchdowns and, importantly, only one interception. He's also got four rushing touchdowns in that stretch. One of the three wins was an impressive 65-36 road victory over the San Diego Strike Force, which gave the Rattlers a season sweep over the first-place team in the Western Conference.

"It's nice knowing that we're in the playoffs, but we're still trying to climb that ladder," Meylor said. "That comes with just being consistent. We've got to be more consistent week-in and week-out. It's our last game of the season (this week), so we're just trying to build on that, get that win, let it snowball into the playoffs."

As the season winds down and the playoffs approach, Meylor agrees with teammates who, all season, have said the chemistry of this team will play a role in its playoff success as will Meylor's experience last season.

"When things get tough, when it's the fourth quarter, that chemistry − knowing.that guy has my back − goes a long way," Meylor said. "I was in the national championship last year. Being there is going to help me in this playoff run.

"If you show the confidence, if you show control, it trickles down to every position. Just be confident, be smooth, just relax and be focused."