Colt gets the call

QB Brennan goes to Washington in sixth round

ASHBURN, Va. » On the second day of the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins surveyed the landscape and came away with the nation's most prolific passer.

Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who set 31 NCAA records at Hawaii and led the Warriors to an undefeated regular season, was taken by the Redskins in the sixth round. Brennan is recovering from hip surgery and is having to relearn how to take a snap from center after three years of the shotgun formation in the run-and-shoot, but Washington will give him a chance at the No. 3 job behind Jason Campbell and Todd Collins.

"I was hoping to be a high draft pick just because of the success I had," said Brennan. "But as I went through the draft process, I went through a lot of adversity. I really started thinking I may not even get drafted, so to get the phone call to hear the Washington Redskins, you have no idea of the feeling."

ASSOCIATED PRESS Kauai's Jordon Dizon joined first-round pick Gosder Cherilus at the Lions' headquarters yesterday in Allen Park, Mich. Dizon was taken in the second round.

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Colt Brennan likes having a coach who played quarterback in the NFL. It's what he's used to.

"It's obviously cool," Brennan said yesterday, when asked about having Jim Zorn as his new coach, with the Washington Redskins. "June Jones being my coach in college, I think that's a big reason we had a lot of success."

Brennan, the record-breaking Heisman Trophy finalist, was drafted by the Redskins in the sixth round of the NFL Draft yesterday with the 186th overall pick.

Brennan was the 10th quarterback selected in the draft.

Only one other player with Hawaii ties was drafted this year. Waimea High School graduate Jordon Dizon, a Colorado linebacker, was chosen in the second round by the Detroit Lions on Saturday with the 45th pick of the draft.

UH receivers Davone Bess (Miami Dolphins), Ryan Grice-Mullins (Houston Texans) and Jason Rivers (Tennessee Titans), and guard Hercules Satele (Arizona Cardinals) all have free-agent contracts.

West Texas A&M tight end Kolo Kapanui, a Kamehameha graduate, got a free-agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. Arizona State guard Brandon Rodd, an Aiea graduate, is headed to the Oakland Raiders, also with a free-agent contract.

Portland State center Brennen Carvalho, who is from Kauai and a Kamehameha graduate, has a free-agent deal with the Green Bay Packers.

All nine players are expected to attend minicamps this week.

Brennan's participation will be limited due to hip surgery three weeks ago from which he is still recovering.

"One thing the doctors stressed is don't push too fast, give it time to heal. I'm feeling great. In a couple of weeks I'll be 100 percent," Brennan said. "But I'm excited. Everyone's telling me (Washington is) a great place, and I've heard the fans are great."

Fourth-year pro Jason Campbell is the Redskins' starter at quarterback. Todd Collins, headed into his 14th season, is the backup; the 36-year-old Collins led Washington's stretch drive into the playoffs last season while Campbell was injured.

"They're bringing me in to develop me and that's fine with me," Brennan said. "I'm going to compete to move up the depth chart. I know that Jason Campbell's a great quarterback. I'm going to be ready for whatever the team needs me to do.

"I'm ready to work," said Brennan, who planned on a quiet celebration and relaxing with family in California before leaving for Washington on Thursday.

"We've got an outstanding person to coach him and teach him," Redskins vice president Vinny Cerrato told ESPN. "Jim Zorn will be just what the doctor ordered for him. There's no pressure -- he's got time to learn and develop.

"He's done a ton of things. He's had a lot of success. You can't discount all the victories and all the touchdowns."

Scouts considered him a potential late first- or second-round pick for the 2007 draft, but Brennan decided to return to UH for his senior season. He led UH to a 12-0 regular season and the Sugar Bowl -- a game that cost him status in the draft after Hawaii lost 41-10 to Georgia.

He holds the NCAA career record for completion percentage, and Zorn said the passing accuracy made him attractive.

"The thing that I look for, one of the strong suits of a QB, is can he hit what he's throwing at?" Zorn said in a Washington Post article yesterday. "Colt has done that. He's been a 70 percent passer. Whatever level and whatever type of defense you're going against, to throw 70-plus percent, there's some accuracy there.

"And he's got the ability to move around. His lateral movement, his ability to get himself in a position to throw the ball after a play breaks down, is tremendous, I think. Hopefully, he'll be able to come in here and do that."

As for Bess, he heads to Miami on Thursday.

"It's a good situation for me," UH's career leader in receiving and touchdowns said. "The punt return and slotback spots are open."

Grice-Mullins said he is disappointed at not being drafted.

"Definitely. Everyone wants to get drafted, and that's what I expected. But I'm not sulking," he said. "The way I look at it, even if you get drafted, you still have to make the team."

Rodd also thought he would be selected during the seven rounds.

"Teams were calling me all day, but it didn't work out. Not many guards were picked," Rodd said. "Signing with the silver and black is good for me. I'll be the No. 2 guard behind Robert Gallery and they didn't draft or sign any other guards."

Agent Leo Goeas said he was to hear back today from NFL teams that might offer UH defensive tackle Mike Lafaele an opportunity to try out.