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Toxicology report confirms former Hawaii QB Colt Brennan died after accidental overdose

A toxicology report confirmed that former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan died of an accidental drug overdose, TMZ Sports reported on Friday.

Brennan, per the report, had fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system when he died in May.

Brennan, who set numerous records while leading the Warriors from 2005-07, died at a California hospital after he was found unconscious at a hotel room. He was 37.

Brennan had attempted to enter detox center before death

Brennan’s father, Terry, said earlier this year that his son was being treated at a rehabilitation center in the months leading up to his death.

Terry said that his son had “ingested something laced with fentanyl and never regained consciousness.” Brennan was found unconscious at a hotel room where he had been with others just hours earlier. That same day, he reportedly tried to enter a detox program at a local hospital but he was turned away due to a lack of available beds.

"He was really into [the treatment program]," Terry told ESPN in May. "It involved a lot of physical activity and he liked it. He was working with soldiers who had come back from Afghanistan and Iraq with similar problems. He was doing quite well with it for four months. Then something happened and he went to the dark side, and it was just not good."

Terry said that his son died “peacefully” surrounded by his family early the following morning.

Brennan shined at Hawaii in his three seasons there, and led the program to a pair of double-digit win seasons in 2006 and 2007. He threw for a wild 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns while completing nearly 73% of his passes during the 2006 season, a performance that helped him finish sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year. His 58 touchdown passes set an FBS record at the time, though former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow broke that mark in 2019.

Brennan then led Hawaii to an undefeated regular season the following year and finished third in Heisman voting. He ended his college career with nearly 14,200 yards and 131 touchdowns, and he sits in the top 10 in FBS history in passing yards per game, career passing touchdowns and career passing yards. He “broke or tied” 31 different NCAA records during his collegiate career.

Brennan spent three seasons in the NFL before short stints in both the Canadian Football League and arena football. He later sustained serious injuries and a traumatic brain injury in a 2010 car crash and had several drunk driving arrests.

“He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened,” Terry told the Hawaii Star-Advertiser in May.

“He had been doing really well. These guys 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.”

Former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan in 2007
Former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, seen here in 2007, died in May after an accidental overdose. (Lucy Pemoni/Getty Images) (Lucy Pemoni via Getty Images)