I have often wondered what it would be like to have a professional football team representing our city.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a team like the Indianapolis Colts playing each weekend in Honolulu? Yes, I could continue to dream about that but the truth is that it is highly unlikely. The good news is that we have a great collegiate program at the University of Hawaii that includes baseball, basketball, volleyball and my favorite, football. Our football team, the Warriors, have had their ups and downs throughout the years. Fortunately for the many diehard fans that cheer for the Warriors religiously each season, we are having a great 2007.  Our fans attend the home games at Aloha Stadium and the away games especially when they are held in Las Vegas, home to many transplants.  It’s phenomenal.  The team consists of many talented local boys, strong, big and quick. And to add to this team is our quarterback, Colt Brennan, a haole boy (Hawaiian word for “foreign” or more commonly referring to “Caucasian”) from Irvine, California.  What is so heartwarming is that this young man is not only a good football player and team leader but he embraces the true essence of what we refer to as the Aloha Spirit. 

The University of Hawaii 2007 Football Team

Hawaii Warrior Football T-shirts

This is a feel good story.  He was previously playing for the University of Colorado.  He was kicked off the team due to an incident (burglary and trespassing into a coed’s room while intoxicated).  He then moved on to Saddleback Community College at which time he caught the eye of our Coach June Jones.  Coach Jones offered Colt a second chance, to play for the Warriors in 2005. And the rest is history.  This story already feels pretty good but there’s more to it.  What is so nice about this young man is that he fits in with the local boys.  His teammates respect him.  He wore dreads for a month to honor his receivers.  He learned Samoan so he can use it to call plays since the team has a number of players of Samoan descent.  And during television interviews he is always giving the team credit instead of focusing on himself.

Colt was nominated for the 2006 Heisman Trophy and had a great opportunity to become a professional player last year. Yet, he decided to stay with his fellow teammates and Hawaii fans to spend his senior year of his collegiate football career as a Warrior.
Despite the vulnerability of being hurt before becoming a professional player and losing the opportunity to make an enormous amount of money, he decided to stick around for another year with us. He said that he likes who he’s become in Hawaii.  Imagine how much he could have made by just saying "yes" to the NFL scout last year.

Head coach: June Jones

If  I am not mistaken, he had turned down an offer between 15 to 17 million dollars.  I think that this is true Aloha Spirit, the love of Hawaii and its people displayed by Colt Brennan. No wonder us locals love him and cheer him on. I know that Coach Jones played a big role in his decision making process too.  Coach Jones is well liked by the team members and fans here.  He must be a great coach and mentor to not only Colt but to the whole team.    

Colt is a candidate for the Heisman Trophy once again this year. The team is doing very well and I am sure it has a lot to do with the talent of all the young men.  But also it is because they believe.  It makes me feel good to have such wonderful young men from all walks of life excel in sports and represent Hawaii like this.  So whether the team is invited to a bowl game or whether Colt receives the Heisman, they are number one to many of us in Hawaii.