Brennan back at school — for now
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
| |||
 |
|
||
Does he stay or does he go?
Colt Brennan said that he is "50-50" on whether to apply for the NFL draft or return to Hawai'i for his senior season. The draft-application deadline is Jan. 15 for underclassmen.
"Right now I don't need to be anywhere else but right down the middle," Brennan said on Saturday. "It's 50-50. I want to see how things pan out."
Brennan, who spent the holidays with his family in California, is scheduled to begin classes at UH today. He leaves Thursday for the Walter Camp awards ceremony, then returns Sunday. He will announce his decision on Monday, Jan. 15.
"I'll have one more week with the fellas," Brennan said. "I'll talk to the coaches, and get all of the feedback from the NFL, and see what all of the other quarterbacks out there are doing. And come the 15th, I'll have my decision, and start whatever journey it is."
He said he has spoken with NFL scouts, and still is awaiting a report from an NFL advisory committee. He also has spoken with his close friend and former Mater Dei High School teammate, Matt Leinart, of the Arizona Cardinals.
Leinart won the 2004 Heisman Trophy and USC was declared national champion of that year. Still, Leinart turned down an opportunity to enter the draft — he likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick — to return to USC for his senior season.
USC did not win the national title during Leinart's senior season, and he was selected 10th in the first round of last April's draft.
Leinart told Brennan: "It's your decision. It won't be anybody else's decision. Whatever you do, don't ever look back or think twice."
WHY HE SHOULD APPLY FOR THE NFL DRAFT
"Because the bowl game was such a great way to end it, and just how things are going, there's so much positive momentum right now that all you can really do is raise your (stock)," Brennan said. "One more year gets them one more year to criticize. ... Everyone is going to expect you to throw for 58 touchdowns. Everyone is going to expect you to do better than you did this year. I guess that's the argument to leave. That's what I have to take into account."
WHY HE SHOULD STAY FOR HIS SENIOR YEAR
"The positives are more experience," Brennan said. "You can get bigger and stronger."
"Right now, the team is in a great state," Brennan said. "It's going to have a lot of momentum going into next season. The notoriety and attention will already be there for Hawai'i instead of having to go out and earn it like we did last year. There's just a lot of positives to stay.
"At the same time, if you come back and have a great year, you're definitely in great shape for next year when you leave. And you get your degree. You graduate, and you can be with your friends. I've been talking to a lot of guys, and they say: 'You'll always remember that time you went to Boise State or you played Michigan State or SC. You'll always remember those games.' Once you go to the NFL, games are games. They come and go. It's all about getting to the Super Bowl.
"In college football, every game is important and memorable. ... College football is kind of that last time where you have that tradition and heritage and all of that kind of stuff. And you're young and you're with your friends. It's a different experience."
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.
