INDIANAPOLIS — Professional football indeed has been reduced to a numbers game.

That is evident at the National Football League Scouting Combine, where the measure of a prospect is found in 40-yard dashes, 20-yard zigzags, bench-press repetitions and vertical jumps.

And it is why former University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan, known as "QB3" on rating sheets, was a pleasant surprise when he weighed 207 pounds during yesterday's physical examination.

"I'm happy with that," said Brennan, who was told that he needed to weigh at least 200 pounds at the combine, which drew the top decision-makers from each NFL team.

Brennan also was officially listed as standing 6 feet 2 1/3.

There were concerns when Brennan weighed 185 pounds at last month's Senior Bowl. Brennan said a stomach flu caused him to lose "five or six pounds" in the days leading to the Senior Bowl workouts.

Brennan said he went on a high-protein diet in which he took supplements and, at a minimum, ate three specially prepared meals and three snacks each day.

"As long as I eat what I've been given, I can do whatever I want to gain extra weight," Brennan said. "I made a couple of trips to In-N-Out Burger here and there. Now I'm trying to convert everything to muscle, and get as big as I can."

Brennan said he has fully recovered from a hip pointer and ensuing groin injury. Because of the two conditions, he was not able to properly train for the sprints.

Brennan said he will participate in all of the combine's passing drills tomorrow, then perform the running drills at UH's Pro Day April 1 in Carson, Calif.

It is a wise decision. NFL officials are more concerned about Brennan's ability to read defenses when he's directly behind the center — he was mostly in the shotgun at UH — than how fast he can run 40 yards.

"He's an NFL-type quarterback," said James Harris, the Jacksonville Jaguars' vice president of player personnel. "We want to see if he can adjust to a more NFL-style offense."

Harris said Brennan's arm is strong enough to "make all of the throws." But, Harris said, "We want to see how he does when he's under center and dropping back and reading."

Tom Coughlin, head coach of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, said: "We want to study him."

Yesterday, Brennan underwent several physical examinations. After that, he was escorted to a large ballroom used for interviews.

With several hundred media attending, the ballroom was set up like a Lollapalooza concert. There were two stages, with rows of tables in between. Quarterbacks Matt Ryan of Boston College, Erik Ainge of Tennessee and Brian Brohm of Louisville gave their interviews from the podium. Brennan, wearing a gray NFL-issued sweatshirt, chose to conduct his interview at a round table.

Brennan answered questions about his legal problems in Colorado, being pigeon-holed as a system" quarterback, and whether Krispy Kreme was part of his diet.

"I think life is really two things: what you're given and what you do with it," Brennan said.

RIVERS' BACK CHECK

At the request of the NFL, former UH wideout Jason Rivers will undergo an MRI on his lower back.

"They're going to do it at one of the hospitals here," Rivers said.

Rivers was held out of UH's game against Idaho Sept. 29 because of lower-back tightness. Rivers said the injury did not cause further problems, and that he feels he is healthy.

"They want me to take the MRI as a follow-up," Rivers said.

Yesterday, Rivers was measured at 6 feet 1. He weighed 200 pounds.

"It's exactly where I want to be," Rivers said.

Rivers said he will focus on the running drills tomorrow. He will not participate in the lifting events today.

SNOW EXCITES BESS

Temperatures fell into the teens yesterday, and the downtown Indianapolis sidewalks were covered with snow. Scattered salt left the streets covered with slush. For former UH slotback Davone Bess, the scene was a winter wonderland.

"I was excited, man," said Bess, who was raised in Northern California. "I've never been in snow before. This is actually pretty tight."

The excitement soon left Bess feeling numb.

"I put my hand in some snow, but my fingers felt like they were going to fall off," Bess said. "It was so cold."

Bess said he will participate in the weight-lifting workouts today and the sprints tomorrow.

"I feel confident I can do a good amount," Bess said of the 225-pound repetitions. "If a team is evaluating me, they'll say, 'OK, he did everything.' A lot of receivers here are not going to bench press."

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.