Chang wants his shot

WAILUKU, Hawaii — With 13 NCAA records and his No. 14 jersey in the College Football Hall of Fame, Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang has left his mark on the game.

Now he is trying to prove he deserves a shot at the NFL.

Chang’s college career comes to an end Saturday at the Hula Bowl.

He leaves college football as its career leader in yards passing (17,072), attempts (2,436), completions (1,388) and total offense (16,910). With 117 touchdown passes, he is second to Ty Detmer (121).

“My best memories are just representing the state and developing a winning program – not the records,” he said.

This past season, Chang led the Warriors to an 8-5 mark and a 59-40 victory over Alabama-Birmingham in the Hawaii Bowl. He had 405 yards passing and a hand in five TDs against UAB.

Despite the lofty numbers, NFL scouts are lukewarm about Chang’s pro potential. He figures to be a late-round pick, if he is drafted at all in April.

Detroit Lions scout Russ Bollinger said Chang will get a chance somewhere and believes his big numbers are not just a reflection of Hawaii’s run-and-shoot offense.

“You can be a system’s guy, but you still got to get the ball down field, you still have to hit the receivers, you still got to read the coverages,” he said. “So he obviously did something right.”

Chang said playing in a pass-happy system should be a plus, not a minus.

“We do throw the ball a lot. We take pride in throwing the ball,” he said. “But you answer this question: Is it easier to pass the ball or hand it off?”

Bollinger said Chang’s size – which officially was measured this week at a bit over 6-feet and 204 pounds – isn’t a major concern.

“It matters. But it doesn’t matter,” Chang said about his height. “It would nice to be 6-5, but as long as you can see the receivers down the field and see the coverages.”

Consistency and durability are concerns with Chang. He threw an NCAA-record 80 career interceptions with a completion percentage of 57.0. Most of the top passers complete over 60 percent of their throws.

Chang was a prep football star in Honolulu before starting for Hawaii as a freshman.

“He’s been under the microscope. He’s been under a lot of pressure,” Bollinger said. “I think the NFL should be fairly easy (transition) in regards to the pressure. He’s felt it since he was a freshman.”

Chang said he offers a lot that can’t be measured in workouts.

“I’ve seen a lot of defenses. I’ve seen a lot of coverages. The game always stays the same no matter what system you’re in,” he said. “I understand the mental part of the game.”

West head coach Mike Bellotti, of Oregon, said he believes Chang will succeed.

“He has a very accurate, strong arm,” Bellotti said. “Stronger than most people think. Stronger than I thought too.”

Chang said he spoke with several NFL teams over the past couple weeks, but declined to say which ones showed the most interest.

“I don’t want to say anything. That’s a big jinx,” he said. “Right now I just want to concentrate on the game.

“If they’re interested, they’re interested. I just want an opportunity to play.”