Feature article on Colt

AJC = Atlanta Journal-Constitution

About what he talks about when he goes to youth detention centers, Colt said:
"I look at them and say, 'Hey, look. You're looking at a convicted felon right now. And I've not let that hold me back one bit. You can decide your fate in this world.' " (AJC)

"The message is, just because you've messed up or made a mistake doesn't mean you have to be a bad person, doesn't mean you can't go on and have a great life and succeed. Or even become a role model." (AJC)

AJC Note: "In Hawaii, this is how they know him. And nearly every week since he arrived in the summer of 2005, he has spoken to troubled youth about his life's path."

About how Colt has been through from his Colorado incident, Terry Brennan said:
"It's been a long road, but we're getting there. It's where you end the journey that's probably the most important for him." (AJC)

About the impression Colt made right away, RGM said:
"The one thing I noticed was just how easy his pass was to catch. A lot of quarterbacks just want to fire every ball. But since day one, he makes it easy on the receivers. It's up and it's out." (AJC)

About his recruiting pitch to Colt, JJ said:
"I went to his house and told him, 'If you'll come' — and I asked him to walk on; I didn't give him a scholarship — but I just said, 'If you walk on, there's a good chance you'll be the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft.' I had an idea after watching his tape that he would be." (AJC)

AJC Note: "But the walk-on invitation was as far as Jones would dare, as Brennan came with his record. As a freshman at the University of Colorado, he had wound up a night of heavy drinking back at a female student's room. When he wouldn't leave, she called campus police. Brennan's case became the first of several sexual misconduct incidents at Colorado that eventually drove out coach Gary Barnett. Although a judge threw out a sexual assault charge, Brennan pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and burglary (for not leaving the room when asked). He drew a week in jail, 60 hours of community service and four years of probation. Colorado also threw him off the team."

About the second chance he got from UH, Colt said:
"I was not anticipating that things would work out so well." (AJC)

AJC Note: "Since then he has broken, among other records, Ty Detmer's NCAA record for career touchdowns passing (131). No one has ever been responsible for more points (886) in NCAA history, nor recorded more 400-yard games (22). In just three seasons, he has set 25 WAC records and 70 school records. Besides the 20 NCAA records, he is within reach of five more as he prepares for Georgia.

Moreover, Hawaii has gone 23-3 the past two years. In those losses in 2006, the Warriors had the ball in the last three minutes, with a chance to win. In 2007, he brought UH from behind to win in the last three minutes four times, culminating with the three-touchdown comeback win against Washington on Dec. 1, when Brennan at one point completed 20 passes in a row."

About how UH completed the comebacks this year while they fell short last year, JJ said:
"You learn." (AJC)

About how every WR is a target on every play, WR coach Ron Lee said:
"That's interesting you bring that up. They have a good understanding of the offense, but it is a challenge. We [the coaches] don't know. Sometimes the quarterback even throws it to the wrong guy." (AJC)

After graduation, Colt said:
"All you kids out there, the best thing about going to school is knowing when you're done." (AJC)

AJC Note: "Through it all, he has committed to talking with kids in trouble. Public speaking invitations increased to where the university assigned an athletics department representative to handle the bookings. With them, he stays on point: Plenty of first chances get ruined. Make sure to take advantage of the second one."

About talking to juvenile delinquents, Colt said:
"They can still go on and make a difference in a positive way." (AJC)

About how he's occasionally taunted during road games, Colt said:
"When I compare that to what other guys have gone through, I'd say it's no different." (AJC)

About his amazing situation right now, Colt said:
"Basically, everything that's happened over the last couple weeks — the last couple years — has been more than I ever could imagine. I wanted to have success here. I wanted to do great things. But I never thought we'd have the opportunity to accomplish what we've been able to accomplish. It's been kind of overwhelming, but it's been awesome. It's been a great feeling. And I think because we kind of had really humble, really good intentions when we started out three years ago and we wanted to bring this program to a new level, because we set out to do things right is why we're here right now." (AJC)