BEREA, Ohio -- Colt McCoy picked up his cellphone, dialed Brett Favre's number and hoped one of his idols might help him out.

The Browns quarterback got Favre's assistance -- and more than he could have dreamed.

"He said, 'Yeah, come down tonight,' " McCoy said recalled Favre saying. "That didn't happen."

But before he knew it, McCoy was on a plane flying to Mississippi to meet with Favre, who picked him up at the airport and then spent several days schooling Cleveland's young quarterback on the intricacies of the West Coast offense, something the three-time NFL MVP mastered during 20 pro seasons.

Following practice on Tuesday, McCoy described in detail the time he shared this summer with Favre, who seems to have finally retired for good after several is-he-or-isn't-he seasons. McCoy said the pair of quarterbacks -- the graying gunslinger and his eager-to-learn protege -- immersed themselves in nothing but football.

"He's an outstanding guy and I learned a lot, " McCoy said, "so I was thankful for him being open to me even coming down there. It's the first time we had met. It was a lot of fun."

OK, but the big question:

Did Favre look ready for another comeback?

"We didn't even go there," McCoy said, laughing. "We talked football. We stayed up late and worked out and he really helped me. For a guy who has played in some versions of the West Coast for 20 years, he's a great resource to have and I appreciated him being willing to spend a couple of days with me and help me out with some things."

Because McCoy wasn't permitted to have any contact during the lockout with first-year Browns coach Pat Shurmur or any of his assistants, he was looking for help with the West Coast. McCoy was able to get a copy of Shurmur's playbook during a one-day break in the labor strife. But without anyone to explain it to him, McCoy needed help.

The Xs and Os, the arrows, the terminology. It was like a foreign language to McCoy.

Enter Favre, who knows the West Coast as well as anyone.