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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Man behind the facemask

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

“Colt’s a special guy and we wanted people to know why he has such a following in Hawai‘i,” said KITV sports director Robert Kekaula, who is producing the DVD.

ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | Nov. 6, 2006

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A Heisman Trophy candidate who demonstrates not only his best deep ball but his favorite North Shore diving spots?

A record-setting quarterback who scrambles well on both FieldTurf and a Jet Ski?

"A Colt Following" is an uncommon look at a unique leader, the University of Hawai'i's Colt Brennan, on a DVD that is in production and is scheduled to debut July 23 before national media at the 2007 Western Athletic Conference Football Preview in San Jose, Calif.

"It is a pretty cool DVD," said Brennan, who has glimpsed the production of the 43-minute centerpiece of his senior season campaign for college football's highest honors.

"We wanted people, the voters, to get to know not only Colt the football player but the person," said KITV sports director Robert Kekaula, the DVD's director/producer. "It isn't just, 'Hey, I'm Colt and here's what I've done and here's what I'm running for.' Colt's a special guy and we wanted people to know why he has such a following in Hawai'i."

Lois Manin, UH sports information director, who has overseen the project, said 1,000 DVDs will be sent to media outlets, and voters for postseason awards and polls. "It will showcase not only Colt, but the team, the school and the state, which is the way Colt wanted it," Manin said.

When completed, it is expected to cost the athletic department approximately $25,000. "But that's only a fraction of what it would have cost had it not been for the help of Robert and a lot of others," said John McNamara, UH associate athletic director.

"Robert's done an awesome job," Brennan said.

Kekaula and representatives from both newspapers, all four TV stations and radio participated. "It really is kind of a grass-roots effort that says a lot about how people feel about Colt," Kekaula said. "Everybody jumped in on it."

The DVD will include segments on why Brennan chose to return to UH, his island life, how he isn't a system quarterback, teammates' reflections, fans' responses, highlights and stats. "He plays puka shell tour guide and talks about how Hawai'i has become home," Kekaula said.

"As soon as Colt said he was coming back it was 'game on!' for our planning," Manin said.

Kekaula said the project has moved swiftly. "It was going in the snap of a finger. The only problem we had were the compliance people at UH found what they considered some gray areas they didn't know whether or not were violations of NCAA guidelines and it took them some time to find out."

DVDs will not be for sale but will be available for viewing on the internet, UH said.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.