Wichita Wild's Wooten not afraid to run over defenses

Dixie Wooten likes to joke — at least we think he's kidding — that he is the strongest quarterback in the universe.

Not the strongest in the Indoor Football League, or the country, or the world.

The universe.

Until a pushup contest with Peyton Manning can be arranged, we'll take Wooten's word for it.

Exaggerated or not, Wooten's strength, and his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame, have given the Wichita Wild an unexpected, but very valuable weapon this season.

While his passing accuracy has been inconsistent — due in part to a nagging thumb injury — Wooten has picked up key yards on the ground all year.

During the regular season, he rushed for 15 touchdowns (third among IFL quarterbacks) and 328 yards (fifth in IFL).

And last week, in the Wild's first-round playoff victory, he ran for four TDs, including a seven-yard scamper in the third quarter that gave Wichita the lead for good.

The Rochester (N.Y.) Raiders will have to deal with Wooten's passing and running skills tonight in a playoff game at Hartman Arena. If the Wild wins, it would advance to the conference final for the second straight season.

The Wild's Darius Fudge, a first-team all-IFL running back, is expert at finding the seams in a defensive line. For Wooten, there is no such strategy.

He simply plows over would-be tacklers.

"His scrambling ability is really hard for other teams to defend," Wild coach Ken Matous said. "I heard someone say that he looks like an offensive guard. He always wears a rib protector, so he looks huge out there. He's an extremely tough guy, and people just bounce off him."

While Wooten can lower his shoulder pads and deliver a big hit, he has also taken his share of shots, due to a heavy workload for a QB: He has carried the ball 100 times.

"I've gotten some bumps and bruises, but my thing is I do whatever it takes for us to win," Wooten said.

Wooten has struggled through a few uncharacteristically poor passing performances this season, but he is now throwing the ball the best he has all season, Matous said.

Still wearing a glove on his throwing (right) hand to protect his thumb, he has been especially effective the past four games, completing 79 of 120 pass attempts (66 percent) for 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.

He was solid in the playoff victory, going 15 of 22 for 191 yards and two touchdowns.

Wooten, 30, has played indoor football for seven years, and for seven teams, but he has never won a championship. He smiles at the thought of claiming a title this year.

"Oh man, winning a championship is what it's all about for me," he said. "That's first and foremost for me."

Notes — The game features two of the best receivers in IFL: The Wild's Clinton Solomon and Rochester's Kevin Concepcion.... Like the Wild's Fudge, Rochester's Jamil Porter is an all-around threat. In the team's first-round playoff victory, he rushed for 54 yards and caught eight passes for 84 yards.... Rochester QB Perry Patterson played at Syracuse.... Rochester NG Eddie Bynes had three sacks last week.

This story was originally published July 2, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Wichita Wild's Wooten not afraid to run over defenses."