Second Chance Leads to Opportunity for the Heisman
This article by Steve Kajihiro was originally written for and published in the
October 2007 issue of the Northwest Hawai’i Times Newspaper.
Do you believe in second chances? I’m sure the University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan does. I won’t go into details of the past but Brennan got into some trouble as a freshman while at the University of Colorado and was dismissed from the football team. Brennan got his second chance in football with the help of the fans and the University of Hawaii.
|
|
Colt Brennan became even more popular with Hawai`i fans by showing up with the eight Hawaiian islands dyed in his hair.
|
On September 15, 2007 at the UH vs. UNLV game in Las Vegas, Nevada, I met Randy Miyamoto, a local radio personality from All Sports Hawaii who told me how he helped bring Colt Brennan to Hawaii.
Randy said that several years ago when Hawaii wide receiver Ashlie Lelie left for the NFL, Coach June Jones was looking for a receiver with speed and height. Randy said that his friend and “frat” brother David “Taz” Murtaugh was a coach at Saddleback Community College in California. Coach Taz informed Randy that he had a receiver named Jerard Rabb and thought Rabb may be of interest to Hawaii. Coach Taz sent Randy a highlight tape of Rabb but was told to check out the quarterback too. The quarterback was Colt Brennan.
Randy said he gave that highlight video to coach Rich Miano, who passed it on to Coach June Jones and quarterback coach Dan Morrison. Later in the spring, Rabb and Brennan were invited to Hawaii for a recruiting trip. Rabb eventually went to Boise State but Brennan was invited to walk on since there were no UH scholarships available.
“The rest is history and Colt has a cult following as he has embraced the islands and we have embraced him with his charm, poise and his love for the islands and its people. He is treated like a celebrity and his numbers prove it!!” states Randy.
Brennan currently holds 20 NCAA records, including the career record for the most games gaining 400 yards or more of total offense. In 2006, Brennan was the WAC Offensive Player of the Year and was selected as a 3rd team AP All-American. Brennan finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting last year. And last year when Brennan was urged to enter into the NFL draft, he decided to remain at UH and continue playing with the Warriors for his senior year.
As of this writing, Brennan is averaging 420 yards per game, with a 77.4 completion percentage, and 12 touchdowns.
Watch for Colt Brennan as he goes for the Heisman Trophy in 2007.
Leave a Reply