Quotes about Colt and Matt Leinart

Remembering a day when he dropped in on Matt Leinart while they were in high school, with Matt a star senior QB and Colt his junior backup, Colt said:
"I remember my junior year of high school, me and him just sitting in front of his house, talking about what if one day we can play together. To see how our lives have kind of panned out - I can't wait to get to the next level just so me and him can be close friends again." (Canadian Press)


About how the tough times Colt went through has made him a better person, Leinart said:
"He's been through some adversity and I think that made him a better person. It's made him the player and person he is today." (Canadian Press)

CP Note: "Brennan came to Phoenix for Leinart's birthday in May, catching some bass on a lake near Leinart's home. They talk frequently by phone."


Proud of Colt, Leinart said:
"I'm proud of the way he's handled himself and I'm proud of the way he's played. What he's doing has really never been done." (CP)


About his advice to Colt after Colt was kicked off the team in Colorado, Leinart said:
"I told him, 'Things happen, man. You were put in the wrong situation, wrong time. Everyone makes mistakes. Whether you're guilty or not or whether you did anything wrong or not, things happen and you've just got to learn from that.' And that's something that he learned from." (CP)


About why Colt went to Hawaii, Leinart said:
"I know he went to Hawaii to kind of get away from everything and kind of find peace, and that's exactly what he did." (CP)

CP Note: "Brennan never did escape his past, but he figured out how to deal with it with help from Hawaii coach June Jones and a Saddleback College journalism professor named Mike Reed. Brennan's arrival at Saddleback had prompted unflattering stories in the school paper. Brennan lashed out, claiming he had been treated unfairly. Reed, who described Brennan as a motivated student, tried to explain the downside of being a star athlete."


About his advice to Colt, Reed said:
"I told him, 'You're frustrated about the way they worded it. It wasn't exactly right. But this is life. This is part of the maturing process, and you're going to need it if you go into professional sports."' (CP)


About the advice he gave Colt after Colt decided to come back, JJ said:
"As I told him when he made the decision to come back, this season will be his best preparation for the National Football League, because even though he's getting a lot of attention, and even though the media is on him all the time, it's going to be 10 times more when he gets to that first Sunday after a game in the National Football League." (CP)


About what he learned from the problems he went through, Colt said:
"The biggest thing was probably humility. It can't get any worse than that. I think that walking away from that, you can't embarrass me, you can't really humiliate me anymore. I'm just a kid that just wants to play football and enjoy himself, and that's it." (CP)


About the advice he would give Colt, Alex Smith (who finished 4th in the Heisman voting) said:
"I think the best thing for him would be to focus on team, focus on games. That's the bottom line. You can throw for a gazillion yards and how many touchdowns, but if your team is not winning, you're not going to go anywhere." (CP)



About Colt playing hurt, JJ said:
"He was committed. He's a tough kid." (CP)


About why Colt stayed at UH for his senior season, Leinart said:
"I know he loves Hawaii. That's why he came back." (CP)


Asked what the victory meant for the Warriors after such a long roach trip, Colt said:
"I think it was a statement. Perseverance is what matters in football." (CP)