University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan and center Samson Satele yesterday were named to All-America teams.

Brennan, a fourth-year junior from Orange County, Calif., was named to the prestigious Walter Camp Football Foundation's All-America second team.

Satele, a fifth-year senior from Kailua High School, was selected to Sports Illustrated's All-America second team. Brennan and slotback Davone Bess were honorable mention.

Brennan is the first UH quarterback to be recognized on an All-America list since 1978, when Jeff Duva was named honorable mention by the Associated Press. Brennan was told of the honor Wednesday night, but was asked to keep mum until the official announcement yesterday.

"That's pretty cool," Terry Brennan said of his son's recognition.

The Walter Camp announcement was the highlight of a whirlwind day for Colt Brennan, who was in Orlando, Fla., for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Brennan was one of three nominees for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best college quarterback.

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who also is favored to win the Heisman Trophy tomorrow, was the winner.

Yesterday morning, Brennan met with youth teams from Manoa and Kaua'i, said Dan Morrison, who coaches the UH quarterbacks.

Morrison said Brennan signed autographs for about an hour.

After that, Brennan and the other invited players went to Disney World.

In the late afternoon, the players were guests at a dinner. Brennan's parents, UH media relations director Lois Manin and Morrison dined at a nearby restaurant.

At the awards show, which was televised live on ESPN, Brennan sat in the fifth row, behind Rutgers running back Ray Rice. Brennan wore a black jacket with a blue tie.

"He looked good," Terry Brennan said of his son. "We were surprised the Davey O'Brien Award was announced first. By the time we got settled in, all of a sudden they announced, 'We'll start with the Davey O'Brien.' Yikes. It was like, 'Give us a punter or field-goal kicker first.' But it was fine. And (the winner) Troy Smith is a great player."

After the ceremony, Brennan and the other players were taken to an ESPN-sponsored social event.

"It's been a great experience for him," Terry Brennan said. "He's had a ball. We wish he had won because he wanted to talk a little more about Hawai'i, give Hawai'i a little more love."

Morrison said Brennan bonded with several players, including Smith.

"It was truly a great experience, hanging around some of these great, great players," Morrison said of Brennan. "He should feel he belongs. The experience will make him better and lift him up. He was pleased people around the country knew about him. It surprised him, and made him feel good."

Morrison said the other players were aware of Brennan's accomplishments.

Brennan leads the nation in total offense (410.8 yards per game), passing yards (4,990), touchdown passes (53), pass efficiency (182.8 rating) and points responsible for (27.54 per game).

"The (other) players knew it," Morrison said. "They were basically telling him 'to keep going.' They were very respectful of what he had done.

"Players know and coaches know it's no fluke," Morrison added. "It's not tied to the (Warriors' four-wide offensive) system. He operates within the system at an extremely high level. But that's him. That's not the system. The system helps him, but you have to be very special to do what he did."

Morrison also said the trip should serve as the launch for Brennan's 2007 campaign.

"The thing that happened is once you've been here, and kind of laid the ground work, it helps you for next year," Morrison said. "You're better known to the writers and people who do the voting. It's like he belongs. He's not an aberration. He's for real."

Morrison said several of this year's winners were nominees last year.

"There is that sense they've been there, they've done that, it's their time," Morrison said. "Maybe Colt had to go through that. He has a great personality, and he's a great young man. A lot of the players were respectful of him. He will elevate and grow through the experience."

Brennan already won an endorsement from Bess. Of all of the quarterbacks in the country, Bess said, "the only one I want to play for is Colt. I like everything about him — his leadership, his composure, his talent."

Bess said Brennan deserved to win the Davey O'Brien Award, but "I kind of knew they wouldn't give it to him because of the conference and stuff like that. But he definitely should have won it. Just being a finalist is good. There are 119 Division I schools. To be in the top three is big."

Morrison said: "Colt has done a good job. I'm happy to be here, but this is all about him. It's all about the kids who play between the lines. Colt's had a great year. I'm happy for him. He's one of the good guys."

Dennis McKnight, who coaches the offensive line, also was pleased that Satele received national recognition. But Mc-Knight said Satele should have been named to Sports Illustrated's first team.

"I would say that unless the guy from the Steelers, (Jeff) Hartings, came back to college to play or Olin Kreutz played somewhere at a college, Sam probably got (short-changed)," McKnight said.

Although the Warriors average 45.8 pass attempts per game, they are yielding an average of 1.77 sacks, or one every 25.9 pass attempts.

"It's a shame, really," Mc-Knight said. "Most people say, 'Well, he doesn't run-block enough.' Well, first of all, in the NFL, you get paid to pass-block. And second, he's an unbelievable run-blocker.

"I would be hard-pressed to find a better center in college football," McKnight added. "He's a complete center. Nobody's quicker. Nobody's smarter. Whoever they picked for the first team, I'm sure, came from a so-called, big-time conference or top-ranked school."

Sports Illustrated named Dan Mozes of West Virginia to the first team. West Virginia is a member of the Big East Conference, whose champion is assured a berth in a BCS bowl.

McKnight said his praise of Satele is "just my opinion. Maybe they'll say I have over-favoring Sam. I don't think I am. I'd like people to watch his games all year, like I do, and tell me he's not the best center in college football."

McKnight added: "I wish I had Sam's problems, and probably be drafted in the second round. I would be happy. If being on the second team is his biggest problem, he's going to have a hell of a life."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.