STRAIGHT SCHATZ

Colt Brennan, local hero

by Brian Schatz | Oct 3, 2007
STRAIGHT SCHATZ /

QUOTE

‘The law prohibiting possession of marijuana…applies to everyone. Otherwise, you could have someone who says, ‘My religious belief is that I shouldn’t have to stop at a stop sign.”

Janet Garcia, prosecuting attorney in the Hawai’i Supreme Court case against Joseph Sunderland in which it was found that freedom of religion didn’t give him the right to smoke marijuana. (Associated Press)

FACTIOID

$496,000

Total in federal grants

from the Education

Department to develop

charter schools in Hawai’i.

Why are people so excited about University of Hawaii Warriors quarterback Colt Brennan? That is, besides the fact that hes the first legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate from Hawaii in years, and hes leading the best Warriors team in history? I think the reasons are bigger and perhaps more important than that because our enthusiasm for him goes beyond even Michelle Wie or Tad Fujikawa. Last week, he gave yet another interview†in which he diverted praise, invited criticism and showed humility, and it hit me. The reason we are extra proud of him is because he embodies so many of our best values. This athlete from southern California is the ultimate local haole, a guy who might not be ‘born and raised,’ but lives Hawaii style.

Hes humble (but hes not silly about it)

Every week, after he effortlessly runs one of the best offenses in NCAA history, he deflects attention away from his performance and talks about how great his teammates are. He calls his receivers the best in the nation and thanks his offensive line publicly. He doesnt bask in the limelight; he shines it on his friends. In a recent interview, when asked how he wanted to be remembered he said, ‘I want people to remember me as a person who was given a second chance and a person that never quit or let his teammates down.’ Brennan places a premium on character, not talent.

After Saturdays subpar performance on the field, he demonstrated class by saying in the Honolulu Advertiser ‘I get a lot of credit, but sometimes as a team overall, we dont seem to get the respect we deserve…I think this was a good day to see how good of a football team this really is. I didnt have a very good game, and I did some bad things, but the team dominated for four quarters. It was fun to see the team win the way it did.’ Anyone who just arrived in Hawaii, trying to figure out how to live successfully in this culture should take detailed notes when they hear Brennan speak.

He chose ohana over money

Brennan would have made millions if he had left Hawaii last year for the NFL, and nobody could have criticized him. The Warriors had a great 2006, and the conventional wisdom was that he didnt have much to gain by sticking around for his senior season. But he postponed his NFL career to be with his teammates, to take care of what he called ‘unfinished business.’ Most of the choices that the rest of us make are not as high profile, but they are similar. To live in the most beautiful place and culture in the world a lot of us have gladly made financial sacrifices. Brennan gets that.†

He has fun with diversity because he doesnt think about it

He took three semesters of Samoan to talk with his lineman, he got dreadlocks to bond with his receivers and he got the Hawaiian Islands dyed into his hair. This guy is a walking billboard for blending in and having fun with cultural diversity. He unselfconsciously scoops up little aspects of other cultures, assimilating them into his personality.

It doesnt seem weird that this Laguna Beach Samoan-speaking haole is representing us–it feels like a natural fit.†

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