Josh Woodrum, a quarterback cut four times in his 15-month NFL career, quickly has become the biggest surprise of the Baltimore Ravens' preseason.

He threw for 110 yards in less than a half and scored two touchdowns in Thursday night's 31-7 rout of the Miami Dolphins. This came one week after he posted a perfect passer rating in the preseason opener against the Washington Redskins.

Woodrum, 24, hasn't resembled the quarterback who was cut by the New York Giants two days after rookie minicamp. He hasn't looked like the player who then bounced from the Indianapolis Colts to the Chicago Bears to the Buffalo Bills and finally to the Ravens.

Why has Woodrum kept going in what has been a trying time in the NFL? Credit goes to his 21-year-old brother Chris, who has Down syndrome.

"If he can wake up and be happy and excel in his life, then why do I have the right to sit here and complain about playing football for a living or going to practice or going to meetings," Woodrum said. "I think about that every time I'm tired or don't want to do something. I just think about him. That instantly pushes me through whatever wall I'm hitting."

Chris often wore Josh's jersey during games at Liberty University, where Josh became the first quarterback in Big South history to throw for more than 10,000 yards.

But Josh is quick to point out Chris' accomplishments. He won two gold medals in swimming and a silver as part of a relay team in the Special Olympics in 2010.

"I just want to make him proud," Josh said. "He never complains about anything."

Woodrum is making the most of his opportunity with Baltimore. He quickly has gone from being a camp arm -- someone signed to replace a lower-level Arena League passer -- to a fan favorite. There were chants of "Woodrum" at some bars in Maryland during Thursday night's game.

In the opener, Woodrum completed all four passes for 85 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to Tim White. His passer rating of 158.3 helped him leapfrog Dustin Vaughan on the depth chart.

On Thursday, Woodrum led the Ravens to scores on three of his four drives. He ran in two touchdowns, one from from 14 yards and the other from a yard out.

At this point, it looks as though Woodrum still has a ways to go before he can press struggling Ryan Mallett for the primary backup job. But Woodrum has been drawing rave reviews from those who make these decisions.

"He can play the game. He has talent," coach John Harbaugh said. "He can throw the ball a little bit. He's pretty athletic. He's another that maybe doesn't look the part, but he runs pretty darn well. He's got poise. He finds receivers and makes plays."

Woodrum thought he found an immediate home after going undrafted in 2016. He hooked on with the Giants for a sizable $20,000 signing bonus. But New York replaced him with veteran B.J. Daniels after his first practices with the team.

He was told by coach Ben McAdoo that the team was going in a different direction.

"I was really shocked," Woodrum said. "I felt kind of heartbroken, honestly."

The Colts claimed Woodrum off waivers but released him after two months. The Bears signed him to their practice squad in November before cutting him 20 days later. The Bills added Woodrum after the 2016 season ended, but they parted ways May 24.

"I've always talked to my parents and my close friends and said, 'I just need an opportunity to go somewhere and get a little bit of film,'" Woodrum said. "I feel like I can play in this league."

Woodrum was out of football for two months before the Ravens signed him July 31. Since then, he has been wowing teammates so much that he even received a nickname.

"I call him the Magic Man," tight end Maxx Williams said. "He somehow always finds a way to make a play or get out of the pocket. I think he's a great player."

Despite two strong outings in the preseason, Woodrum isn't looking ahead at what this could mean for him in the future.

"I'm just trying to improve every game," Woodrum said. "Mentally, that's how I take every single day, too. If I do bad in practice, I know I can be gone in a minute because I've been through it."