Column: Colt Brennan’s struggles with illness, addiction does offer hope

If you remember the 2006/2007 University of Hawaii football seasons, you’ll remember Colt Brennan winning some incredible games, like the San Jose State game in double overtime and pouring rain. He had a way of getting the job done no matter what. Even if it was a battle until the end.

That’s probably why our family was shocked when Colt lost his final, most important battle on May 11, the day he died of a drug overdose after a 10-year battle with addiction.

As is often the case, Colt’s addiction stemmed from mental illness, complicated with on-the-field concussions and a devastating car accident head injury that forced him off the playing field for good, from a game and career he obsessed about since he was 8.

The first piece of the puzzle was his mental illness, which began in Colorado. If you’re familiar with Colt’s past, then you heard Hawaii was his second chance. His love for the state grew from acceptance after a difficult year of troubling consequences.

As a freshman at University of Colorado-Boulder, Colt was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, his first time in trouble with the law. He was 19. While Colt was acquitted of sexual assault, he was convicted of trespassing and served a few days in jail.

This incident always haunted him. He “never got over it,” and experienced PTSD. It was then that he started using marijuana regularly. It became his drug of choice. He claimed it helped with his anxiety, another feeling he’d experience at UH.

Colt made his job as quarterback look easy. Off the field, it was second nature to give interviews, sign autographs. He’d stand in the middle of Aloha Stadium with 50,000 fans cheering, hoping he’d make the pass, win the game.

How does anyone handle that kind of pressure? Did anyone ask him how he felt or dealt with it?

Colt calmed his nerves and managed his anxiety by turning to the easiest and fastest remedy — marijuana. His self-medicating habit was exacerbated after a 2010 car accident, after suffering a major head injury.

Doctors warned that brain injuries were complicated, and permanent damage or lingering side effects were uncertain. Early on, Colt exhibited symptoms similar to dementia — poor short-term memory, confusion, repeating stories or questions. He was irritable and often irrational.

When the obvious symptoms dissipated and his physical injuries healed, Colt started training for football, but constantly complained his head “never felt right.” After failed attempts to play again, Colt realized his career was over. His dream was over.

Colt isn’t the first athlete to suffer from this devastating reality. Yet as common as it is, is any professional athlete ready or prepared? Are they given a transition course to help them adapt?

This is when Colt’s severe depression began and self-medicating grew to heavier substances and alcohol for relief. For his friends and family, it was a constant struggle to get him help and accept it.

At times Colt took an active approach — herbal therapies, brain habilitation, aversion therapy. He just couldn’t find his cure and the cycle would continue: Colt trying to manage on his own, then reverting to drugs and alcohol.

With our insistence, he entered countless rehab facilities across the country without any success.

His final stint before his death was the most promising. He made it to four months of the six-month program. Colt seemed to be thriving, making friends, swimming, golfing, reconnecting with family. As much as we were hopeful and excited for his recovery, we were terrified it wouldn’t last. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

Many ask if I can give others advice and I hesitate because whatever we did, didn’t work in the end. I do feel like we did everything we could, from tough love to hand-holding. We were a family in crisis doing the best we could.

I encourage people never to give up, because people can recover. Even the last four months of sobriety were a cherished blessing. We were able to experience Colt’s true self again, his laugh and excited storytelling. He’d have a big smile on his face, but deep down was still suffering.

On behalf of my family, we hope our story helps others — at least knowing you aren’t alone in this battle.

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The Colt Brennan Legacy Fund

The Brennan family has established The Colt Brennan Legacy Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, which will benefit University of Hawaii Athletics, youth sports programs, and organizations that bring awareness to and support efforts on mental health and addiction.

Carrera Shea is Colt Brennan’s sister.