The Timmy Chang Chronicles Pt. 5: Rest in Aloha Colt
Growing up in Hawaii, there were only two number that boys wanted to wear. Davone Bess’ number 7 and of course the iconic Green No. 15, dawned by the legend Colt Brennan, Bows BCS Mania was sweeping across the nation in 2007. I only eight years old didn’t quite understand what the big deal was. I didn’t come from a football household yet my family’s eyes were glued to the TV whenever the Hawaii Warriors took the field. After a phenomenal 2006 season where Hawaii went 11-3 to go along with a victory over Arizona State in the Hawaii Bowl, many questioned what was next. Their star quarterback, this blonde hair white boy from California exploded onto the scene, going from walk on to one of the greatest passers in NCAA history. In June Jones’ Run n Shoot offense, Brennan threw for a record breaking 58 touchdowns in 2006, leading many to wonder if his talents would be heading to the NFL. In a memorable and emotional press conference, Colt Brennan announced that he would be returning for his senior year. He was home in the islands.
The 2007 season was one of great expectation. Equipped with one of the best defenses in the WAC and a receiving core of killers (Davone Bess, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Jason Rivers and CJ Hawthorne), Brennan was once again called to rewrite the record books. A rocky start at Louisiana Tech saw the 20th ranked Warriors narrowly escape Ruston with a double OT victory. They would drop to 24th in the nation. However the Bows responded with six straight wins to place them at 8-0 against arch rival Fresno State. Against Fresno, Brennan would suffer a concussion. He would be out for the next game against Nevada in Reno. Colin Kaepernick and the Wolfpack gave UH all it could but critical plays by backup Tyler Graunke and a game winning Field Goal from Dan Kelly helped UH escape with an 10-0 record. Fun fact, Nevada HC Chris Ault iced Kelly on his first attempt which would’ve been good. Kelly then drilled the second down the middle. This win was important not only for UH’s BCS bid but it also made next weeks matchup against Boise State extra special. It would be for the outright WAC title, something UH has never accomplished.
In what was touted the biggest sporting event in Hawaii history, cars lined Aloha Stadium for hours before gates opened. Hawaii was ready for a championship and they showed out in full force, selling out the 50,000 seat stadium. Boise State was the dominant force in the WAC, in fact Hawaii hadn’t beaten Boise since they came into the WAC. Brennan was back in action and let me tell you, the nervousness of the islands was on a level I haven’t seen before or since. This was the moment. Number 17 Boise State vs Number 13 Hawaii. Top media heads had the Broncos winning as keep in mind, this was the team that upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl the year before. Good thing the Bows came to play. A dazzling performance from UH secured a 39-27 victory and Hawaii’s first and only outright conference title. More importantly, Hawaii ascended to Number 10 in the nation. A victory on senior night against the 4-8 Washington Huskies would secure their birth.
A celebration of Hawaii’s achievements was short lived as the Jake Locker led Huskies jumped out to a 21-0 lead. Brennan, not willing to leave Aloha Stadium a loser began the comeback. Quick score after quick score and UH headed into the locker room down 7. Score. 28-21. Hawaii would score two more touchdowns to make it 35-28 with 44 seconds left in the game. Hawaii was in delirium, their dreams were coming through. In typical Colt Brennan fashion, he and his teammates used their celebration period to honor the late Sean Taylor who had passed a month prior. However Locker wasn’t finished and a deep bomb took Washington inside Hawaii’s 15. Brennan only could watch but horror turned into celebration when a deflected pass, intercepted by Hawaii’s Ryan Mouton secured the 12-0 season and allowed Brennan to leave Aloha Stadium a winner.
Hawaii would be awarded a BCS bid where they lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Brennan would graduate and eventually be drafted by the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately for Brennan, injuries derailed a promising career and personal issues plagued his life following a horrific car accident. That doesn’t take away the impact Brennan had. He was Hawaii’s Heisman, a positive influence for local players, especially NFL quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa. He was a pillar of the community and despite his personal struggles, persevered to do better for himself and for his brothers. Colt Brennan had a profound impact on me as he did for many. He made me love football, he made me fall in love with UH athletics. My offensive ideology is based off the Run N Shoot because of how smooth and accurate he was in the pocket. But his impact goes far beyond me. No one will ever have the social impact of Colt Brennan. No one could captivate an audience like him. He was willing to go on any show, any commercial, help out any football camp. He helped mentor and nurture not only Hawaii boys but quarterbacks like Chevan Cordeiro and Cole McDonald. Brennan was an icon, he made nationwide audiences tune in for Hawaii football games, he had swagger, skill and respect. He could talk to anyone and would take time to speak with everyone. You don’t find many men like Colt Brennan and though his physical time on this planet was far too short, his memory, his essence, how he made people feel will carry on for generations. He is Hawaii and Hawaii is better because it knew the name Colt Brennan. Rest in Aloha.
