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How did Colt Brennan die? Former Hawaii quarterback was found unconscious in rehab where he was 5 months sober

'He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened,' his father Terry Brennan said

Former NFL star Colt Brennan, who played college football for Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, tragically died on May 11, 2021. He was only 37 years old. He breathed his last surrounded by his family and dear ones. The news of his death was confirmed by his family to Star Advertiser reporter Stephen Tsai.

Brennan was most famous for his stint as a quarterback in the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors team. In 2006, he led the team to win the Hawaii Bowl and passed for 53 touchdowns in a single season that year. The following year, he completed 359 passes and 38 touchdowns and finished third for the Heisman Trophy. Brennan was also drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2008 but was released a year later. 

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How did Colt Brennan die? 

A month ago, Brennan shared a detailed post on his Instagram profile, reflecting on a sexual misconduct allegation from his time at the University of Colorado. He was accused of drunkenly exposing himself to a female student. Later, he was convicted of felony burglary and trespassing and was sentenced to a week in jail. In 2012 and 2019, Brennan was arrested on DUI charges. 

In 2010, Brennan and his then-girlfriend Shakti Stream met with a severe car accident on Hawaii island. He later admitted that the accident had changed him as a person. In the recent past, the former football icon was known for his volunteering activities with Kahuku High School football team and other youth organizations in Hawaii.

Speaking about his death, his father Terry Brennan also shared that Colt was in his fifth month of sobriety at a rehab facility in Southern California and he was showing positive signs of recovery. "He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened,” he said.

However, a few days ago, Brennan was found unconscious at the facility when he was rushed to Hoag hospital in Newport. "He went peacefully ... He listened to Bob Marley. His sisters had a lei around him when he was unconscious. They had the music of Bob Marley playing near his ear," Colt's father informed the Star Advertiser. "These guys (at the rehab facility) were no-nonsense guys. It just got away from him. I don’t know how else to explain it. Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain it better," his father said. 

'He said he didn't want to be a part of a story'

Fans and football teams mourned the tragic death of Brennan as they shared condolence messages on social media. "A few years ago, I tried to track down Colt Brennan. I wrote a letter to his parents' address, and they passed it onto him. He called me a couple of months afterward. We talked for about an hour. He said he didn't want to be a part of a story, but that he was happy. RIP," tweeted journalist David Gardner.

"Colt Brennan dyeing the Hawaiian islands into his hair was one of the coolest things ever and he was throwing for 5,000 yards long before everyone did it Rest in peace," said Tyler Conway from Bleacher Report. "Damn Colt Brennan was one of my favorite QBs to watch. Had both the talent and the swag that put Hawaii college football on the map. RIP," a fan tweeted in remembrance.