Colt slams the facilities at UH

Upset that their showers still don't have soap, Colt said:
"We spent all spring with no soap in our showers. Half of the soap dispensers are broken. How hard is it for us to have soap in our lockers? Isn't that something that should be a health issue?" (HA)

HA Note: "A janitor, on his own time, has tried to recycle the empty shampoo bottles to use as soap dispensers. But the maintenance crew remains understaffed, and there are only two janitors to clean up after more than 100 players."


Empathizing with the staff at the Nagatani Academic Center, Colt said:
"These people work so hard. They work way more than they're getting paid for. Their resources, like ours, are cut off." (HA)


About their need to improve their facilities, Colt said:
"There's a good chance we could be a preseason top-25, but we're still envious of other WAC teams' facilities." (HA)


Colt said that the University of Colorado facilities were: "galaxies away" (HA) compared to UH's facilities.


About how much parking costs UH players, Colt said:
"I would love for somebody to show how much we've made for the school last year and then show how much kids owe for parking going to practice every morning." (HA)

HA Note: "For instance, football players pay $3 to $6 for parking each day to participate in workouts, practices and study sessions at UH. Brennan said football players are targeted by parking-enforcement guards for parking in the dirt areas near the football practice field and locker room — areas, Brennan insisted, no regular student or faculty member uses.

He estimated about 20 percent of the team has amassed between $200 and $1,000 in parking fines. Brennan's car has been towed twice and he has accumulated an estimated $800 in parking fines and towing fees during his two years at UH."


About how he and his teammates signed autographs on UH memorabilia for 2 hours at the Ohana Festival, Colt said:
"We were signing helmets, T-shirts, all of the memorabilia with that UH logo, and the athletic department doesn't get hardly any of that money. This program has been able to have success with a lack of resources ever since coach (June) Jones got here (in 1999). Imagine if we did have the resources. Imagine where this school would be 10 years from now." (HA)


About why he is speaking out now, even though some will be upset with him, Colt said:
"I want to see change. I want to see this school way better off when I leave. That's a big reason why I came back. When the seniors leave, we want to know our younger teammates will be taken care of. And I'm not just talking about football. I want to see the entire sports program become better." (HA)


About how some people will say that his comments will hurt recruiting, Colt said:
"When we're winning, we get compared to big programs like Ohio State and USC. I wonder how analysts would look at our achievements if they realize what we have to overcome through facilities, resources and traveling.

We're not asking for multi-million-dollar facilities. We want some upgrades. I know people will say this is going to scare away recruits. What would recruits rather hear: That we're making changes for the better or we're going to keep having some of the worst facilities in the WAC? Hawai'i has been able to make the best with limited resources. I feel we're the Kahuku (High) of college football. People don't come to Hawai'i for our facilities. They come for the experience and, in our case, the coaching staff. Imagine the possibilities if our facilities and resources were dramatically improved." (HA)


About being the featured instructor at the Hawaii Speed and Fitness Clinic tomorrow, Leonard Peters said about the clinic's co-directors:
"I learned a lot of from coach Mel (deLaura) and coach (Rich) Miano. I wanted to share what I learned with the kids." (HA)