As previously noted, Redskins fans have quickly found a place in their hearts for rookie quarterback Colt Brennan.

Maybe it’s due to the fact he broke 30 records during his time at Hawaii or maybe it’s because he sounds like a kid who knows how to have a good time. Either way, ‘Skins fans are more vocal about Brennan than any team has ever been about a third-stringer QB.

When Todd Collins threw his first incomplete pass during the Hall of Fame game (on 3rd and 4 during the team’s first drive of the second quarter), more than just a few Redskins fans at Fawcett Stadium let it be known that they’d rather see Colt in the game.

By the time Brennan actually got onto the field, you would have thought Rudy was finally getting a shot to play for Notre Dame by the ovation he received. And of course, Colt had a strong showing — completing 9 of 10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Redskins bench warmers to a victory over the Colts scrubs. I joked after the game that a couple more outings like this and the ‘Skins might have the first-ever back-up quarterback controversy.

Since he’s quickly becoming one of the most talked about players on the roster, I decided to track down Brennan to find out exactly what this kid is about.

Point blank – what’s the reason so many fans seem to be taking to you so quickly?

“I think people are really infatuated kind of with the fact that I came from Hawaii,” Brennan said. “That seems to be the focus of most questions and the most asked about thing. Hawaii is such a unique place and such an awesome place, and for me to go out there and have success I think people have been really excited about seeing something different. It seems like traditionally it’s about the SEC, the Big 10 and the PAC 10, and for me being from Hawaii, it’s different. People like different sometimes.”

What did you know about the Redskins before they drafted you?

“They always had one of the best franchises and fanbases in football,” Brennan said. “Ever since Mr. Snyder took over they’ve gotten a great reputation as far as being one of the best football franchises in the NFL, so I knew I was headed to the right place when I got drafted here.”

I know you weren’t pleased being drafted so late, but how fortunate do you consider yourself ending up here with a head coach who was a pretty good quarterback in his day?

“That’s kind of the silver lining, as far as the draft process,” he said. “I really meant it when I said all that really matters to me is where I end up, and I couldn’t be more pleased about the franchise and the team. We’re loaded with talent offensively. We have a great coach in Coach Zorn, and I’m just really excited about my opportunity. Coming in, people aren’t expecting to see something right away. They’re going to give me time to develop and I couldn’t be any happier with where I ended up.”

What kind of feedback have you gotten from the coaching staff on your throwing motion and your mechanics? Are they happy with everything?

“Mostly with me it’s been about my footwork,” Brennan said. “Getting the muscle memory back, especially after surgery and not being very explosive. When I first got here, he kind of touched on my release and wanted to see what he could do. But to be honest, as time has progressed and everything, he’s really kind of backed off that. He said, ‘All that really matters is that you get it from point A to point B.’ Guys in the NFL like Phillip Rivers, Vince Young and Tony Romo — some of those guys have lower releases than me and it hasn’t stopped them or deterred them from being successful.”

What kind of quarterback did the Redskins get when they drafted you?

I’d say that basically I’m a football player,” Colt said. “I’ll never forget guys like Drew Brees and Brett Favre were football players first. Yeah, they were great quarterbacks, but I think what made them great was that they were football players first. I love the game and I love having fun out there. I might be a little unorthodox, but I’m a great football player. I always have been, and hopefully I always will be.”

He’s got the resume. He gets results. He’s already got the fans. Now, if we could just get him to stop sporting the visor …

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Can’t get enough Homer McFanboy? Well then, you’re in luck, sir.

In addition to your regularly scheduled programming, you can also head over to Skinscast this morning and listen to our latest Redskins podcast. In this episode we talk about everything from the Hall of Fame ceremony to the Colt Brennan Experience. By the end of the show, we end up arguing (no surprise there) over which rookie pass catcher will have the biggest impact on the 2008 season (I’ll give you a hint – he’s not very good with alarm clocks). So click the link and go check out the show – if for no other reason than to hear John actually hit puberty halfway through the show. Good times.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Unlike some fans, I wholeheartedly believe that very little can be taken away from a preseason game (well … unless Steve Spurrier decides to try out his entire playbook during the meaningless exhibition). Veterans go into these games with two objectives — avoid injury and enjoy finally hitting someone in a different jersey. If they work out a few kinks or iron out some flaws in their techniques that’s great, but after lining up against teammates twice a day for a couple weeks I cannot convey how much they relish hitting an opponent.

So right out the gate, I’ll say that this post is meant to simply satisfy the desires of the diehard fans who believe football season can’t start soon enough. Instead of worrying about veterans who saw little or no playing time, I’m going to focus on the Redskins 2008 draft class. Here’s where Cousin Vinny’s rookies stand after their first NFL preseason game:

Devin Thomas, wide receiver, Michigan State — The ‘Skins top draft pick did not play in Canton due to a hamstring injury.

Fred Davis, tight end, USC — “Sleepy” Davis hauled in three catches for 23 yards in his debut. His longest catch was for only eight yards and he averaged 7.7 per reception, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t stand out in head coach Jim Zorn’s eyes.

“We wanted to give Fred Davis the ball a couple times, and he not only caught it, but he turned up field and showed that he is a tough runner after the catch,” said the rookie coach. “He did very well sustaining blocks, and we were pleased with the way he handled things one-on-one.”

Malcolm Kelly, wide receiver, Oklahoma — Like Thomas, Kelly was forced to sit the game out due to injury. In fact, Kelly underwent arthroscopic knee surgery the day after the game to remove loose particles in his left knee and is expected to miss two weeks.

Chad Reinhart, offensive lineman, N. Iowa — Offensive tackles Todd Wade (sprained ankle) and Stephon Heyer (strained knee) were both injured during the ‘Skins-Colts game, forcing Reinhart into additional playing time.

“Chad Rinehart played both tackle and guard, and he did an excellent job for a young guy,” Zorn said. “He really is aware of what is going on, and as he gets more reps, he will continue to improve. He will be a factor this year as a guy that can play two positions.”

J.T. Tryon, cornerback, Arizona State — Not a great day at the office for Tryon. By my count, the brash rookie got beat twice on defense and fumbled a kickoff.

Durrant Brooks, punter, Georgia Tech — The ‘Skins obviously wanted to give Brooks the chance to win the job, choosing to bench veteran punter Derrick Frost in favor of the youngster.

“What we wanted to do is see if he could handle a whole game,” Zorn said. “There were no shanks which I was excited about. We got to see him hold one field goal, which we missed, but the hold was just right. Overall, I was pleased with his performance.”

Kareem Moore, safety, Nicholls State — I had to double check the gamebook to see that he did, in fact, play in the game. Guess it’s safe to say Moore didn’t make much of an impact.

Colt Brennan, quarterback, Hawaii — Let me put it this way, the first time Todd Collins threw an incomplete pass (on 3rd and 4 during the ‘Skins first drive of the second quarter) more than a few fans began calling for Brennan. By the time the rookie QB finally trotted out to the field, you’d have thought that Art Monk was jogging back into the Redskins huddle as fans voiced their approval. So how did Colt fare? Brennan completed 9 of 10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Redskins back-ups to a victory over the Colts back-ups. A couple more outings like this and the ‘Skins might have the first-ever back-up quarterback controversy.

Rob Jackson, defensive end, Kansas State — Jackson might have only finished the game with one tackle and one sack, but he was definitely noticeable whenever he was on the field. The guy seems to have the abilities, he just needs to get more reps to avoid moments like when he got too excited and jumped offsides.

Chris Horton, safety, UCLA — While most fans exited the stadium gushing over the play of Colt Brennan, Horton’s play was what impressed me the most. That’s because the seventh-round pick finished with five tackles, two sacks and recovered the Colts’ onside attempt to start the game. People will remember Jason Campbell’s perfect touch pass to Antwaan Randle El for the touchdown, but that never happens if Horton doesn’t make the play.

All in all, the play of Horton, Brennan and Davis should give fans (and Randy Thomas) a reason to smile moving forward. If this is the starting point as the players continue to improve and adjust to the NFL game, then maybe, just maybe Vinny Cerrato knew what he was doing when he brought these guys into town.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Just got back from a highly-enjoyable weekend in Canton. Since “exhausted” is the word of the day, I will simply leave you with this photo of Darrell Green and Art Monk from the pre-game ceremony of the Redskins-Colts preseason opener and the memory of the four-minute standing ovation Monk received after finally being voted into the Hall of Fame.