Quotes about Colt's NFL chances

Thank you to Tombo for prividing the link!

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/can-brennan-make-the-leap-from-hawaii-to-the-nfl/

Feeling that Colt would have been the best QB in the most recent NFL draft, JJ said:
“His accuracy is second-to–none. That’s the difference with N.F.L. quarterbacks, it’s accuracy. All of them can throw, but he’s got all the intangibles. Those guys might, too, but they’re not accurate.” (NY Times)

NYT Note: "Brennan completed more than 72 percent of his passes last season, led the nation in passing efficiency and had 58 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. When Jones went over the Hawaii game film last year, he said that he counted 54 drops, which would have elevated Brennan’s completion percentage to 82 percent."


About their dropped passes, JJ said:
“Those weren’t dropped balls that were hard to catch, either. They were right in the receivers’ hands. I played five years in the N.F.L. and one in Canada. I can’t go out there against air with a receiver and hit 80 of 100 passes. He did it in a real game with defenses chasing him. That just blows my mind.” (NYT)


About what he told Colt when Colt was deciding whether or not to enter the draft, Matt Leinart said:
“I told him, ‘Listen, man, whatever you do they’re going to criticize you as a product of the system. They’re going to criticize that your release is short. That’s not a knock, it’s what they do. Even if you come back they’re always going to say something. Man, if you go back to school, enjoy it and have fun and set records. You have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy and to live the life of a college kid. Just don’t second-guess yourself, they’re always going to say something.’” (NYT)

NYT Note: "The early indicators on Brennan’s draft status from the N.F.L. are good. When he queried the N.F.L.’s notoriously conservative draft projectors to see where he would be projected as a pick, the results came back that he would have gone early in the second round last season.

One of the biggest obstacles he will have to overcome in the eyes of both Heisman voters and N.F.L. personnel is to prove that he is better than the former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang. In his four years as a starter at Hawaii, Chang became the N.C.A.A.’s all-time passing leader. But he is now a backup in the Canadian Football League, which is why the age-old question of whether Brennan is a product of Hawaii’s run-and-shoot system will arise."


About the difference between Timmy Chang and Colt, draft analyst and former Dallas exec Gil Brandt said:
“The difference is that I don’t thing that Timmy Chang had the ability or the arm strength that Brennan has. He was right around 6-foot, and this guy measures at 6-2 and three-quarters. I think this guy is better than Timmy Chang was. This guy is better in every facet of the game.” (NYT)


About how the NFL teams will question Colt's incident in Colorado, Brandt said:
“From everyone that I’ve talked to, people that know his parents, the parents are solid people and the kid is a solid guy. It was something that happened that took place that shouldn’t have.” (NYT)

NYT Note: "Jones and the Hawaii coaches vehemently defend Brennan’s character, pointing to the volunteer work he does and his affable nature when dealing with people in the community."


Another variation of the right foot off the ground quote from JJ:
“I’ve watched thousands of quarterbacks and only seen three, Jeff George, Dan Marino and Colt, that actually when they’re in the pocket and they decide to let the ball go, their right foot is off the ground before the ball leaves their hand. They have such a quick release that when they fire their left side, the whip of their body takes their right foot off the ground before the ball leaves their hand. It’s kind of mind boggling.” (NYT)


About how the wins are what matters this season, Colt said:
“I could throw 70 touchdowns, but if we go 5-7 no one is going to care. If I throw 30 touchdowns and go 12-0, then I think people may say that I have a shot. All I care about is winning the football games.” (NYT)

Note: This reminds me of a note in today's Austin American-Statesman: "Brown likes to quote coach Darrell Royal when talking about the makeup of his team. The freshmen want to play, he says. The sophomores desire to be stars. The juniors want to win. And the seniors will do anything to make the victories happen."