HA Note: “The 2009 presidential inauguration dinner was an historic event, and the celebrated guest with Hawai’i ties did not disappoint. He shook hands, posed for cell-phone pictures and signed autographs. He did everything but eat. That has been the familiar formula for Colt Brennan: Feed the fans’ fever, starve Colt.”
About how Colt is so busy accommodating the fans that he doesn’t have time for himself, Chandra Kinilau (who coordinated Colt’s off-field activities in 2007) said:
“He’s always thinking of other people, and sometimes he doesn’t have enough time for himself.” (HA)
About his press conference announcing that he would come back to UH for his senior year, Colt said:
“The second I made that decision, my time became Hawai’i's time. Everything I did, I did for Hawai’i.” (HA)
About how Colt did a lot for UH, UH sports media relations director Derek Inouchi said:
“He generated so much attention for the school.” (HA)
HA Note: “The price was Brennan’s privacy. His car was burglarized several times, with thieves taking anything that identified him. His autograph became the holiday season’s most popular gift — the large C descending into a scribble signature. He signed dozens of autographs after each practice, and several more outside of his classes, where some fans camped. Kinilau said Brennan received autograph requests from all points of the Mainland. Brennan signed posters, cards, paper scraps, replica helmets, money and body parts.”
About one day when she had more than 150 items in her office for Colt to sign, Kinilau said:
“He signed them all. I would feel sorry for him. Sometimes he would sign items in the car on the way to an autograph session.” (HA)
HA Note: “Several times, Brennan signed post-practice autographs for about an hour. By the time he made it to the training table, the eggs, meats and fruits were gone, leaving him with dry cereal. Athletic department officials tried to quell the demands. The head of UH security was assigned to drive Brennan from the grass practice field to the locker room. When Brennan entered the SUV, there was a bagful of mini helmets and posters to sign. UH staged a one-hour autograph session at the grass practice field. Each fan was limited to one Brennan autograph. He was told not to chat with fans or pose for pictures. The line snaked around the football and soccer fields, leading to the training room entrance, a distance of about 400 yards.”
About the demands on Colt’s time, Kinilau said:
“He knew this is what came with the fame. He loved doing it. It just took a lot of his time.” (HA)
About the autograph seekers, Colt said:
“It was crazy how much demand there was. At the same time, it’s what I asked for.” (HA)
HA Note: “To an athlete, seasons are like offspring, and Brennan’s middle child — 2006, the second of his three UH years — was his best, and largely ignored until the end. It was, in fact, the best statistical year by a quarterback in NCAA history. He set the single-season record for touchdown passes (58) and points responsible for (384). The NCAA has a formula for measuring a quarterback’s success. The pass-efficiency rating factors accuracy and productivity. Brennan’s score of 185.96 in 2006 was the highest in the history of the NCAA.”
HA Note: “Brennan was particularly sharp in throwing bubble-screen passes. The route requires a receiver to run into the flats. It challenges touch and depth; the quarterback needs to arc it over the out-stretched arms of a pass-rusher to a target moving in the opposite direction. That year, Brennan completed 21 of 21 bubble-screen passes. In three seasons at UH, he threw only two incompletions on bubble screens.”
About deciding to stay at UH, Colt said:
“I was having a lot of fun. I always felt the NFL would always be there. I wanted to come back so I could do something great with my teammates, do something awesome. I wanted to do it for my teammates, and my school, and the state. If you do it for someone else, it’s always more rewarding.” (HA)
About how he spoke out about not having soap in the showers, Colt said:
“I didn’t do it to blame anyone. I wanted to say that Hawai’i has done so much with so little, imagine what it could do if it had the same resources as other schools.” (HA)
About Colt speaking out about UH’s facilities, JJ said back then:
“Colt did a lot for the school. He has good intentions.” (HA)
HA Note: “Since then, the school addressed Brennan’s list of concerns.
Brennan, now with the Washington Redskins, continues to give back. He has donated thousands of dollars to the athletic department. Two months ago, he helped donate uniforms to the Koolauloa Red Raiders, a Pop Warner program with four teams. He made the monetary donation in conjunction with the NFL.”
About donating uniforms to the Koolauloa Red Raiders, Colt said:
“This is something I’m really proud of. It’s a good program, and the kids really appreciate the support. It’s always good to try to help others. The people of Hawai’i are so open and understanding. I’m happy to give back in any way I can.” (HA)
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