LAS VEGAS — Father knows best, right?
LAS VEGAS — Father knows best, right?
When Hawaii quarterback Dru Brown said he would cut his shrug-length hair for the first time since moving to Hawaii in June 2016, Dave Brown suggested his son etch the islands onto the side of his head.
“You mean, like Colt Brennan?” Dru Brown recalled saying, a reference to the former Heisman Trophy finalist’s hairstyle during UH’s 2007 season. “He was joking, but I was thinking about it, and I thought it might be kind of neat.”
Brown got a No. 2 guard cut, then teammate Hunter Hughes free-hand drew the islands with a silver Sharpie. “It came out good,” Brown said. “Hunter is so talented when it comes to that stuff.”
A year after transferring from San Mateo College, Brown has symbolically and aesthetically embraced Hawaii. He won the starting quarterback’s job in the fifth weekend of the 2016 season, guided the Rainbow Warriors to a Hawaii Bowl victory, and then cemented his role as leader with a strong performance in spring training. Brown is the only quarterback on the roster to have taken a snap in the hybrid offense that is part run-and-shoot, part run-pass- option. Brown and linebacker Jahlani Tavai are representing UH at Tuesday’s Mountain West Conference Media Summit in Las Vegas.
“I had never been to Vegas before,” said Brown, who walked the Las Vegas Strip on Monday afternoon. “It’s cool to see everything you see in the movies. When you come out here and see it for yourself, it’s surreal.”
The past year has been equally surreal for Brown, who did not receive any FBS offers as a Los Gatos (Calif.) High senior in 2015. His lack of playing time as a junior — he was the backup to Nick Bawden, now San Diego State’s fullback — and a 6-foot frame likely reduced interest. Brown went to San Mateo for a year and planned to return for his sophomore season when he received an offer from UH coach Nick Rolovich. They had met when Brown attended Nevada’s camp two years earlier. Rolovich was Nevada’s offensive coordinator at the time.
Brown and his father visited UH in May 2016. After watching a players-run practice, Brown decided to accept the scholarship offer. In training camp, Brown and the other UH quarterbacks bonded during meetings, video sessions and practices. Rolovich promised an open competition.
“I definitely came out here to start,” Brown said. “It wasn’t like I was out here to chill and go to the beach and redshirt. That wasn’t really the plan.”
After winning the job, Brown endured the season’s irregular beat. He made a roller-coaster motion with his right hand as he spoke of the early victories; the tough losses to UNLV and New Mexico; the one-sided defeats to San Diego State and Boise State; the white-knuckle finishes against Air Force and Fresno State, and the wins against UMass and then Middle Tennessee in the bowl game.
Brown credited his former quarterback coaches Danny Sullivan and Adam Tafralis with providing the foundation to prepare for the sport’s ebb and flow.
His work ethic comes from his parents — Dave, an entrepreneur, and Terri, an ear-nose-throat doctor. They assigned him chores and made him hold open the door for his sisters. “I was embarrassed about that,” recalled Brown, adding he now sees how women appreciate the gesture.
He said he was taught to “prioritize certain things. If we wanted certain things, they weren’t just going to happen. I needed to stay focused. That doesn’t mean I need to be a stick in the mud. I like to have fun. But football only lasts so long. When I’m finished, I don’t want to have any regrets I should have done more.”
Brown said he accepts the responsibilities that come with being in the spotlight. But he also uses his platform to spread his message of: Be good to others. The past spring break, Brown met with Lucy Wedemeyer, whose late husband Charlie Wedemeyer battled Lou Gehrig’s disease for 30 years. Despite the condition, he taught and coached at Los Gatos, Brown’s alma mater. Brown and Lucy Wedemeyer shared their stories in testimonials at six churches.
Brown said he also wants to be helpful to teammates. “I want anybody on the team to come to me, whether it’s about football or life, if they have a tough situation and want help or to talk,” Brown said. “That’s my best thing. And when we’re out on the field, whatever the circumstances, we’re going to be fine.”