Former University of Hawaii standout Colt Brennan, who held college football’s single-season touchdown record (58) until it was broken by Joe Burrow in 2019, died at 37 last May, the result of a drug overdose with a subsequent autopsy confirming the presence of alcohol, methamphetamines and fentanyl in his bloodstream. A sixth-round pick of the Redskins in 2008, Brennan’s career and life never recovered from injuries sustained in a serious car accident in 2010, battling substance abuse and erratic behavior for the remainder of his life.
According to Brandon Sneed of Sports Illustrated, Brennan’s family has since learned the former quarterback battled CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a degenerative brain disease that can only be diagnosed post-mortem. CTE is particularly prevalent among NFL alums, with over 100 confirmed cases, many of whom struggled with depression, suicidal urges and irrational thinking brought on by years of head trauma. Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who committed suicide in prison while serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd, and late Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson both showed significant brain deterioration following examinations conducted by Boston University, the nation’s leader in CTE and Alzheimer’s research.
Brennan was found to have Stage 1 (considered least severe) CTE, though Dr. Ann McKee, who serves as director of BU’s CTE Center, noted his brain was “harder than usual” to diagnose because of all the tissue he lost while unconscious during his drug overdose, giving the appearance of a massive stroke. A two-time All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist (he finished third to Tim Tebow and Darren McFadden in 2007), Brennan’s 14,193 career passing yards stand as the ninth-most in FBS history.
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