NYT on Hawaii's Colt Brennan

» NYT: For Colt Brennan, Hawaii Means Renewal (Pete Thamel)

In keeping with the previous post regarding UH QB's, I'll add this about Hawaii's Colt Brennan: If there's one QB I'm proud to see break some (all?) of David Klingler's records, it's this guy.

Money Ball Quote:

When Brennan was on trial, he was Googling words, trying to find peace for his scattered mind. He stumbled across the New Testament passage Romans 12. It reads in part: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Brennan said the passage changed his attitude.

“I don’t need to worry about what anyone thinks,” he recalled thinking. “I’ve got me. I’ll show them. I’ll get my revenge by becoming a great person.”

Romans 12 also stresses not conforming to one’s surroundings, which Brennan said he did while growing up in Southern California. Brennan said he expects to return to Hawaii after his football career to raise his family in a culture that he believes values children and not possessions.

“Hawaii gave me the courage to live my life differently,” Brennan said. “When I grew up, I was the typical Southern California kid. I had all the South California ambitions: to make money, live in a nice house, have a beautiful girlfriend and all that stuff. It was Hawaii that made me say that money isn’t important anymore. Friends and family and having people around you are more important.”

Whenever Brennan sees a Bible, he looks up Romans 12. He says he has tried to live its words, with every autograph, every good deed and every bit of volunteer work.

“I really hope that my actions, over time, will display not only the person I was, but help me clear up everything that happened out there in Colorado,” Brennan said. “I’m not perfect, and I know I’m going to make plenty of mistakes. But it’s all about the journey and what you are and what you do.”

But for Brennan, whose path in football nearly ended three years ago, it appears that a season filled with Heisman hype and boundless promise may be just the beginning of the journey.

UPDATE: The LA Times takes a swing at Colt's story. Read it only to compare what a miserable job they did in comparison with the NY Times. Ironic that the supposedly liberal icon in Manhattan covers Colt's faith with a deft touch while the Times (with the greater local interest) manages to reduce Colt' story to bullet points.