Qb’s Injury Throws Off UI’s Plan Brennan’s Chances Of Playing This Season Diminishing

University of Idaho quarterback Brian Brennan, who has started eight games the last two seasons, is so limited after two shoulder surgeries that he can throw a baseball only 22 yards.

Throwing a football? “I can’t do it,” said Brennan, via telephone from his home in Lacey, Wash. “Can’t throw the motion of it.”

Brennan’s ailment leaves Idaho short-handed at quarterback with fall drills only a couple of weeks away.

UCLA transfer Ryan Fien is the starter. Robert Scott, who saw extensive time at quarterback during the spring drills that Brennan missed, will be No. 2 while continuing as a starting wide receiver.

“Robert coming out of spring ball would have been the first guy we went to (if Fien was injured),” UI coach Chris Tormey said. “Of course, Brian’s progress would have been a factor in that.”

Brennan doubts he’ll participate in two-a-day practices. His chances of playing this season are diminishing and his career might be in jeopardy. Since he’s already redshirted, he stands to lose his junior season.

Scott faces risk of injury at receiver. Minus Brennan, UI’s only quarterback on scholarship other than Fien and Scott is redshirt freshman Darick Pope, a Post Falls product who has never played a down in a college game.

“It makes me a little bit (nervous),” Tormey said, “but Darick got a lot better last year and if he continues to make as much improvement as he did a year ago, he can certainly get us through a game.”

A bigger problem might be getting through fall two-a-days. Tormey would like four or five quarterbacks in camp to handle the continuous throwing and not burn out any arms.

Brennan played in pain most of last season and lost the starting job to Eric Hisaw. Brennan had shoulder surgery in December, but another operation was performed in April when Brennan’s range of motion remained poor.

After the April operation, Brennan’s range of motion immediately improved, but then his recovery stagnated.

“I started throwing a softball 20 yards after the second surgery and I was progressing well, but now I’m only throwing a baseball 22 yards,” he said. Arm strength is the main problem, he added.

UI coaches had hoped Brennan would be lightly throwing a football by June 1. Brennan will return to Moscow in early August and huddle with the trainer and doctor to determine his next move.

“I’ve got everyday use of it, but there is uncomfortableness (throwing),” said Brennan, who also is seeing a chiropractor to treat with recurring back problems.

Tormey remains hopeful.

“Just because he’s not ready right now doesn’t mean he can’t be ready by week three or week five,” the coach said Brennan was aware going into the first surgery that his career could be at stake.

“The trainer and the doctor I went with always said, ‘Hey, our job isn’t to let you play football again. It’s to get you healthy so you can throw with your kids (someday) without it hurting,”’ Brennan said.

Brennan elected for surgery because rehabilitation was only modestly successful after he experienced a “dead arm” for portions of the last two years.

“Who knows, I may never throw again,” said Brennan, whose two-year totals are 157 completions in 296 attempts, 2,320 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

, DataTimes