During his career at the University of Hawaii, Colt Brennan shattered 31 NCAA passing records. Some of which, are flat out incredible: Most 400-yard passing games in a career (20), most touchdowns in a season (58), best passing efficiency in a single season (186.0) and a true sign of accuracy, highest career completion percentage (70.4 percent). During a magical senior season in 2007, Brennan led Hawaii to a 12-0 regular season, earning a berth to a BCS championship game and winning the hearts of Warriors fans forever.

Following graduation, the Washington Redskins drafted Brennan in the NFL draft. For our Football Insider column this month, we hooked up with Colt in Orange County (CA) during the off-season to learn the proper mechanics behind throwing a football, a subject he was eager to discuss and extremely passionate about.

“The first thing to consider when throwing a football is grip,” Brennan says. “Everyone has a different grip. It’s all about what is comfortable.” Start by putting your thumb under the football so that other fingers can grasp the laces. Use the laces of the football to throw a good spiral. “I put my ring finger on the second lace from the top and my pinky is on the fourth lace from the top,” Brennan says. “Your ring finger is critical. That is what puts the spin on the ball. Spinning the ball is usually what kids have the most trouble with in the beginning.” Be sure to use an age appropriate football. Beginners should use smaller footballs so they can learn to properly use of the laces. Before throwing, keep two hands on the ball and make sure your shoulders are parallel. Hip and shoulder movement should occur at the same time in order to get the proper torque on the ball. “You want to step into the throw with your legs and be sure to get your shoulders around,” Brennan says. “You want to transfer the energy off your back foot to the front foot. Essentially, your back foot comes off the ground as a part of your release. Think about it like a boxer hitting a punching bag. Energy is transferred from the back foot in one motion as the shoulder moves forward and the hand hits the bag. That movement creates torque and a stronger punch. Throwing a football is similar. You want to use the entire body, transferring weight from the foot to the shoulders so you can move all that energy forward in your throw.” Having the strongest arm doesn’t necessarily translate into being a great quarterback. The position takes years to master through consistent practice. The technical aspects of the position are vital, but another critical component is simply experience throwing the football. The more one throws, the better they understand how the ball moves in the air, timing of pass catchers and the important aspect of touch. “When you have the right touch on the ball it becomes a lot easier to catch and that’s important for the people you’re throwing to,” Brennan says. “There are times when you need to put zip on the ball and times when you float it there. A quarterback must master all types of throws and to do that, you must throw and throw often.”