In three seasons as its starting quarterback Colt Brennan did a world of good for the University of Hawai'i on the field and far beyond.

Now, even in his departure, the Warriors' most celebrated alumnus can significantly burnish those contributions.

When — not if — Brennan is taken in this weekend's NFL Draft it will be something of a long overdue milestone for the Warriors. When — again, not if — he starts firing passes for passes for pay, it will be a major breakthrough and long-needed validation for the Warriors branding.

Indeed, Brennan will be the first UH quarterback taken with the intention of playing that position in 39 years. Think about that for a moment.

Not since Larry Arnold in 1969 has a UH player been drafted to specifically play quarterback in the NFL. That his selection came in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Rams hints at how long ago that was. Raphel Cherry was, of course, a fifth round pick of Washington in 1985 but he was envisioned as a defensive back, receiver and return specialist, not a signal-caller. That was so long ago that Rich Miano, now a UH assistant coach, was taken the same year. In three NFL seasons, Cherry did not take a snap at QB.

Not much of a pro passing legacy for a program that for the past decade has marketed itself with a wide-open, pass-first offense.

To be sure Dan Robinson, Nick Rolovich and Tim Chang were accomplished college quarterbacks, remarkable in their abilities as passers and leaders. Chang broke the NCAA mark for career passing yardage. Robinson and Rolovich would have rewritten portions of the record book also had they had benefitted from more time at UH. All got NFL looks — but as free agents.

With more than 40 players drafted by the NFL, the Warriors have made a name as a proving ground for linemen, linebackers, defensive backs and, yes, even a Pro Bowl kicker and punter. But when it comes to putting a QB on football's grandest stage in the modern era, UH is still waiting and critics are still pointing. How many times have snipers at Brennan used Chang's inability to crack an NFL roster as ammunition?

A program that has been at or near the top in passing statistics for nearly a decade shouldn't require that kind of validation. But it does. UH needs a living, breathing symbol of its passing game in the NFL. It needs one people can see front and center on Sundays. Somebody, who, when they do those Monday Night Football lineups, can say, "quarterback ... the University of Hawai'i."

Somebody, for example, that can catch the eye of prospective recruits. A "name" that confers the stamp of recognition and authentication.

The passing records have been dandy. But the more records UH piles up without somebody in the NFL to validate them, the more Warrior quarterbacks will be knocked as "system quarterbacks" and discounted for major awards and draft picks.

Brennan being drafted and establishing a presence in the NFL would do so much for the Warriors. More, even than dying his hair with a map of the islands.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.