June Jones talked about — what else? — UH football, Colt, and all things in-between on ESPN’s College Football Live. Here’s the YouTube clip:
Entries from August 2007
Video: June Jones Talks about Colt, UH on ESPN
August 30, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Categories: Uncategorized
NFL Scout: Colt best in West; Better than Booty
August 30, 2007 · Leave a Comment
From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
An NFL scout said Brennan is the best quarterback in the West because his passes nearly always go where he wants them to go. And when circumstances don’t allow him to throw a dart, he can still make something positive happen.
“Colt can put the ball in a tight spot, and he has a stronger arm (than USC’s John David Booty),” the scout said. “He’s a better runner and he can make a play when things break down because he is put in so many decision-making situations.”
Categories: Comparisons · Draft · Quotes about Colt
Star Bulletin: Colt “the best ever?”
August 30, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Dave Reardon, who covers UH football for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, asks the question — is Colt the best ever to play for UH? Well, sounds like it:
Warriors quarterback coach Dan Morrison has lived and coached in Hawaii the past 26 years, following UH football closely, even before he joined Jones’ staff as a charter member in 1999.
He says Brennan is the best in school history. It’s hard to argue.
Morrison agrees that Brennan is in the top two to five in a lot of the categories you would use to compare QBs, like arm strength, quick release, vision. There are no deficiencies … nothing where you would call him “average” or “poor.” Maybe the bench press, but he’s working on that.
To go with all these 8s and 9s on the 1-10 scale that put him among the best Rainbows/Warriors ever, add a couple of infinities for accuracy and savvy.
Categories: Media Features · Quotes about Colt
Star Bulletin: Colt-mania goes national
August 30, 2007 · 1 Comment
From today’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
Despite a recent wave of national publicity, the Hawaii football team’s equipment staff is not fitting Colt Brennan for a bigger helmet just yet.
His teammates make sure of that.
“They do a good job of making sure whoever’s getting a lot of the publicity during a certain time, they usually attack them, make fun of them, bring them right back down to humility,” Brennan said.
“We have fun. We call him Mr. Heisman, Mr. ESPN,” said receiver Davone Bess. “It comes with the territory.”
Following a record-breaking junior season, quarterback Brennan is returning to lead the Warrior offense and has been the subject of unprecedented national attention for a UH athlete in the run-up to a highly anticipated 2007 season. [...]
Categories: Colt in Media · Media Features
Brennan Insures Self
August 29, 2007 · Leave a Comment
From today’s Honolulu Advertiser:
Trying to determine Colt Brennan’s worth to the University of Hawai’i football program is an exercise in limitless speculation. However, Brennan and the value-conscious folks at James D. Edgeworth and Assoc. have determined a dollar figure representing what Brennan would be entitled to should a football-related injury affect his NFL prospects.
$4 million.
Brennan said he took out a loan for $28,000 to purchase an insurance plan from the Houston-based company that would protect him in the event of an injury that would be “detrimental to my draft position.”
Categories: Draft
Brennan — Indy/Non-BCS Heisman Hopeful
August 28, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Heisman Hopeful: Hawaii’s Colt Brennan postponed a lucrative NFL payday and returned for his senior season to once again accumulate statistics seen only in video games. Brennan, who threw for an Division I-record 58 touchdown passes last year, has his top three receivers back, including first-team all-WAC Davone Bess. Brennan also will face a particularly featherweight schedule that includes division I-AA schools Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern. The statistics will be gaudy, and the run-and-shoot offense will be entertaining. But it remains to be seen whether Brennan will play on a stage large enough to garner sufficient national attention to win the Heisman.
As always, I’d point to Colt’s numbers against ‘BCS’ teams.
Categories: Uncategorized
NYT: Can Brennan Make the Leap From Hawaii to the N.F.L.?
August 26, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Wonders a blog post on the NY Times …
Categories: Draft
Lengthy feature in NYTimes
August 24, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Colt has a lengthy feature set for publication in this Sunday’s NY Times.
You can read it online here. It doesn’t cover much new ground about Colt, but it’s very well-written and well-worth the time to read it.
Here’s a clip:
The final twists in Brennan’s rise toward stardom and redemption may be the most compelling of all, however. If not for the anonymity of being a backup, the uncertainty of chasing a scholarship and the humiliation of wearing an orange jumpsuit, he probably would not have the thrill of a Heisman chase, the allure of being a possible first-round pick or the recipient of the affection of an entire state.
“The consensus between myself and Colt’s high school coaches is that Colt is the person he is today and the quarterback he is today because of the path he took,” said Dan Morrison, Hawaii’s quarterbacks coach. “I firmly believe he is who he is today because of the road he traveled.”
Categories: Media Features
Colt featured in Sports Illustrated
August 23, 2007 · 2 Comments
Colt is featured in this week’s Sports Illustrated.
It’s on newsstands, and also online here.
Categories: Media Features
AP: Colt Brennan find success, new life at Hawaii
August 23, 2007 · 1 Comment
HONOLULU (AP) — Colt Brennan couldn’t lose at Hawaii.
As a walk-on three years ago, he had a shot at running the Warriors’ pass-heavy offense. That, however, wasn’t his main objective. He was determined to get his life back together.
“If football didn’t work out, I was going to be all right. I was going to find my life in Hawaii and just focus on being happy,” Brennan said. “When I got here, football just took off for me. It’s been a great ride and a surreal feeling.”
Today, Brennan is considered one of the nation’s top college quarterbacks and a Heisman Trophy contender. He’s also the main reason why No. 23 Hawaii is ranked for the first time entering the season, despite losing five players to the NFL draft.
Read the rest of the article here.
Categories: Media Features
Colt on O’Brien quarterback award watch list
August 22, 2007 · Leave a Comment
University of Hawai’i’s Colt Brennan is one of 35 players who were named to the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award watch list yesterday.
Brennan, a senior, also is on the Maxwell and Manning award watch lists.
Brennan last year was one of three finalist for the O’Brien award, which went to Ohio State’s Troy Smith.
The O’Brien watch list is based on All-America teams and honorable mentions published in at least six different preseason college football magazines. A candidate must be listed as an All-America quarterback or as a first or second team All-American within his conference in at least one publication or as honorable mention in at least three publications.
The winner will be announced Dec. 6 on The Home Depot College Football Awards Show and honored Feb. 18, 2008, at the Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Categories: Awards
ESPN: Colt the top fantasy college football pick
August 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
1. Colt Brennan, Hawaii QB: The Michael Jordan of college fantasy picks. Brennan has the talent, but also plays in an relentless passing attack. Hawaii will do everything it can to help Brennan put up big numbers while feasting on dreadful opposition in order to build a Heisman candidacy. (Hawaii probably won’t play one of the country’s top 75 teams till mid-November.) Last season, Brennan threw for over 5,500 yards and a staggering 58 touchdowns, while also running for five more TDs. This year, the schedule is quite a bit softer and Brennan has more receiving talent. Don’t be surprised if he throws for 6,000 yards and 65 touchdowns.
Categories: Colt in Media
Colt to Fox Sports 1st Team WAC
August 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
In certainly a no-brainer, Fox Sports online has named Colt to its preseason WAC first team, and picks him as the offensive POTY. Here’s their writeup:
Offensive Player of the Year
QB Colt Brennan, Hawaii
A 6-3, 196-pound senior, Colt Brennan is the absolute, 100 percent, NFL-caliber real deal running a high-octane offense at peak efficiency. After throwing for 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, he’ll have to be even crisper and sharper with plenty of holes on the line and new running backs who won’t take the heat off like Nate Ilaoa did.His NCAA record-setting stats are ridiculous: Nine games last year with 400 yards or more, finishing up with 559 against Arizona State; two or more touchdown passes in every game, with eight games with five or more; and, most amazingly, a 72.6 completion percentage. For his career, he’s thrown for 9,850 yards and 93 touchdowns, and he can run, with 520 yards and eight touchdowns.
He’s a superstar in full command of the offense as the perfect marriage of talent and system.
Categories: Awards
CBS Sportsline: “Brennan has it easy, but that’s a problem”
August 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment
CBS Sportsline does its yearly preview of the WAC and uses Colt as the lead-in:
What do you get if you mix Jim Kelly, Jeff George and Warren Moon?
Maybe the greatest quarterback to ever play college football.
Maybe Hawaii senior Colt Brennan.
“He’s a combination of all of them and he might be the best,” said Warriors coach June Jones. “He has tremendous competitiveness once the game starts and his accuracy … only Moon and George are in that category. I’ve never seen a guy put the ball on the money consistently as he does.”
Brennan is coming off one of the most exceptional seasons in NCAA history — he broke or tied 18 NCAA, 17 conference and 41 school records. He ranked first in passing efficiency, first in completion percentage (72.6), first in yards (5,549) and threw a record 58 touchdown passes. He was the conference’s offensive player of the year and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Categories: Colt in Media
Reminder: Watch UH’s Colt for Heisman Video
August 10, 2007 · Leave a Comment
You can find the video, produced by radio color commentator, and KITV sports anchor Robert Kekaula, at UH’s official website.
The video covers Colt’s 2006 accomplishments, and his life on and off the field.
Categories: Media Features
Jones on Colt: Best Ever
August 10, 2007 · 1 Comment
Quoted from a Washington Post profile of Colt:
“I have had a whole lot of guys in the Pro Bowl and two guys in the Hall of Fame,” Jones said. “Colt is the best quarterback I have watched or coached in my 35 years.”
Categories: Quotes about Colt
NMSU Coach Hal Mumme on Colt
August 10, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Heading that veteran group Mumme talked about is quarterback Chase Holbrook, who completed 70 percent of his passes for 4,619 yards and 34 touchdowns. Holbrook would be the all-WAC quarterback if it wasn’t for a guy named Colt Brennan at Hawai’i.
“I think Colt Brennan is a great player, maybe the best in the league and nation,” Mumme said. “Chase is coming off an excellent season. He was where Colt was two years ago. We had a great game (against Hawai’i) last year, and should have a great game this year.”
Categories: Quotes about Colt
Washington Post profiles Colt
August 9, 2007 · Leave a Comment
In today’s edition. The lede paragraph:
When talking about his quarterback, Hawaii Coach June Jones tends to border on hyperbole except when he tosses out statistics such as this: Colt Brennan threw for more yards last season than Michigan’s Chad Henne and Ohio State’s Troy Smith combined. And Brennan did it in fewer attempts.
Categories: Colt in Media
Brennan on Manning Award watch list
August 8, 2007 · Leave a Comment
From a UH athletics press release:
University of Hawai`i record-breaking quarterback Colt Brennan was named to the Manning Award watch list. The award, created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, will be presented to college football’s top quarterback following the holiday bowl season. [...] Brennan was one of 11 finalists for last year’s award, won by LSU’s JaMarcus Russell. In addition, Brennan is on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America since 1937.
Categories: Awards
Sporting News: Brennan NOT a system QB
August 8, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Nice draft article by The Sporting News’ Russ Lande, a former scout for the Rams and Browns. Is Colt Brennan a system QB? No:
Sure, Brennan plays in a funky offense and lack ideal height, but when you evaluate his play without looking at his system, it is clear that he has a strong arm, a very quick release and can make every throw with good zip and accuracy.
Brennan also is a real team leader. He has overcome the craziness at Colorado that led to him ending up at Hawaii in the first place and has consistently shown the poise and captaining skills to lead the Warriors to big wins. There are great expectations in Honolulu for this season, and Brennan should deliver and put himself in position to be the second-best QB prospect in his class.
Categories: Colt in Media
