UH FOOTBALL / THE NFL DRAFT
Brennan to give himself time by filing for draft
The UH quarterback can still pull his name off the NFL list
Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan said last night he will declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft today, but with the possibility of pulling back and returning to UH for his senior season.
On the Net
» See starbulletin.com tomorrow for breaking news on Brennan's announcement
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Brennan emphasized he is doing so to meet today's deadline for underclassmen to make themselves available for the pro draft and that he then has until Thursday to take his name off the draft list. He said he was still 50-50 on whether he will turn pro or not.
"What I'm asking for is I need more time. I'm trying to keep myself eligible (for the draft), but I'm still torn. I'm still just torn down the middle.
"I'm still awaiting some information, some of it personal," Brennan added.
Some of the information he wants is whether Louisville junior quarterback Brian Brohm will declare for the draft. Brohm's presence in or absence from the draft could affect Brennan's status.
Brennan was originally scheduled to announce his decision at a 10:30 news conference at UH this morning. That has been changed to 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Brennan led the nation in most passing categories last fall and broke the record for most touchdown passes in one season while leading UH to an 11-3 record and No. 24 ranking in the final coaches poll.
NFL scouts have told him he is likely to be picked no later than the second round, and Brennan indicated to the Star-Bulletin last fall that might be high enough for him to make the leap to the pro ranks.
For anyone listening to Brennan the past two months, though, a decision by him to go pro shouldn't be a surprise.
On Saturday, Brennan was pressed during an ESPN interview (he was in Connecticut for the Walter Camp awards ceremony) and said "hypothetically" he would go pro if he had to make a decision right then.
When first asked by the Star-Bulletin about it Oct. 16, Brennan indicated he was leaning toward remaining at UH, but clearly left open the possibility of leaving.
"I really believe that it's a decision that is made for you. By the end of the year it will be pretty clear how easy that decision is," Brennan said.
On Dec. 12, he said he felt the same way, but when told some scouts were projecting him as a first-round choice it piqued his interest.
"I'm very happy here and there are plenty of good reasons to come back. Coming back would definitely be great for the program and for me," said Brennan, the day last month he was named a third-team Associated Press All-American. "But I would definitely have to consider it. That's a pretty big opportunity and there's no guarantee it would be there later. If they (the NFL advisory board) suggest it, I would have to take a step back and look at things."
As his record-breaking performances and national award recognition continued to pile up, Brennan had good reason to start leaning toward the NFL.
In the days leading up to the Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl, Brennan (who had recently been voted sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting) said he would take a thorough look at every factor before making a decision.
"I'll do all the things I need to do to figure out what's best," he said.
Each time, Brennan seemed a little closer to leaving Manoa -- though clearly leaving his options open.
Since the end of the season, Brennan has spoken with UH coach June Jones at least three times about the situation, including yesterday. Jones' advice was to take all the time he needs and go with his gut feeling.