Brennan has put up almost mind-boggling numbers. He threw for 4,301 yards and 35 touchdowns in 10 starts before last season and topped that by passing for 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns while breaking or tying 18 NCAA records.
The trick now is to prove he's more than only numbers.
Jones says the knock on run-and-shoot quarterbacks being "products of a system" is unfair. For every Ware and Klingler who failed on the next level, Jones, a former NFL head coach in Atlanta and San Diego, points to a number of successes:
"Jim Kelly played in our deal, Warren Moon played in our deal," Jones argued in defense of a pass-happy offense. "Bobby Hebert went to his only Pro Bowl, Jeff George went to his only Pro Bowl, Chris Miller went to his only Pro Bowl.
"Obviously, average quarterbacks or guys in the middle of the range get better and the great ones are great no matter what they do. If Joe Montana was in our system, he'd figure it out."
Chang, the Hawaii quarterback who preceded Brennan, put up huge passing numbers but, so far, has not stuck in the NFL.
Jones says he doesn't doubt Brennan's potential.
"Jeff George, Dan Marino and Colt are the only guys I've seen when they release the ball their right foot is off the ground," Jones said. "I don't know what it means, but I'm going to start looking for it in high school."
Jones calls Brennan the most accurate passer he has coached since George.
Even Brennan's life, it seems, is on the straight and narrow, and football is not the only thing he is passing along.
He likes speaking now to young players at risk. Brennan, after all, was once in their cleats.
"I'll give them my real kind of shock story," he said, "and hopefully make sure that none of those kids put themselves in the position I put myself in."
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chris.dufresne@latimes.com
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Big numbers
A look at Colt Brennan's passing statistics at Hawaii:
*--* YEAR CMP. ATT. YDS. TD INT. 2006 406 559 5,549 58 12 2005 350 515 4,301 35 13 *--*
Some of the single-season NCAA Division I records set by Brennan in 2006:
Most touchdown passes: 58
Most passing yards: 5,549
Highest passing efficiency: 185.96
Most games of 400 yards or more passing: 9
ESPN.com; hawaiiathletics.com
