Handy Man

By MIKE BRESNAHAN

Aug. 28, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

OXNARD — Keary Colbert sees those high-stepping, hip-swinging, chicken-dancing fools and shakes his head.

A touchdown is a touchdown in the eyes of Colbert. Nothing more than six points, nothing less than handing the ball to the referee and going to the sideline.

After all, once you’ve survived the intensive care unit of a hospital, little things like football seem, well, little.

Colbert, the quiet star receiver of the Hueneme High football team, ended up in the ICU last November because of, ironically, a little thing.

He was having surgery on the pinkie finger of his right hand, which sustained a nasty fracture in four places during a playoff game.

Sure, it was surgery, but, as his father, Patrick, said, it was “just a pinkie.” No problems. You’re a patient for a few hours at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and then you’re not.

Colbert ran into trouble, however, when the intubation was removed from his mouth.

He awoke immediately and couldn’t breathe. Every time he inhaled, he coughed up blood and mucus. He was suffering from a negative-pressure pulmonary edema, a condition in which fluid fills the lungs.

He was transported to ICU, where he eventually expelled the fluid. Not without some tense moments. Life-changing moments, perhaps.

“Everybody’s days are numbered,” Colbert realized. “I take nothing for granted. I try not to be too uptight with everybody, but when it’s time to do business, it’s time.”

His approach to training is nothing but business.

His alarm clock buzzes at 6 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Within half an hour, Colbert is on the beach, running 40- and 80-yard dashes in the sand.

For inspiration, he sometimes reflects on the November night in 1995 when Ronney Jenkins set a national record with 619 yards rushing for Hueneme. That night, Colbert, an eighth-grader, was carrying the headset cord for Coach Larry Miller of Hueneme. A future star was in awe of a current star.

“I remember he had 590-something yards and somebody came down from the announcer’s booth and said he needs this many yards to break the record,” Colbert said. “[Coach Miller] called one more play for him and he broke it for 30 yards or so.”

Colbert put up some eye-catching numbers of his own last year.

He had 31 catches for 769 yards, 24.8-yard average, and nine touchdowns, though it was a stellar performance at the Ventura County combine in May that grabbed the attention of college coaches.

Colbert clocked the best marks in two of the four events, the pro shuttle run (3.91 seconds) and the 40-yard dash (4.4).

Hello, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Washington and Arizona State.

Interest in Colbert isn’t the only thing that has risen since last season. His role in the offense this year is expected to escalate because running back Donald Thompson graduated.

Nothing the level-headed Colbert can’t handle.

“There’s different masks that people have,” said Miller, who is Colbert’s uncle. “When you wear a mask of flamboyancy and are loud and boisterous, all that does is mask your inner feelings of not being confident. Not that I’m saying it’s right or wrong.

“But Keary was never that way. When you’re confident and you understand who you are and what you want out of life, you put all those values together and become a quiet and confident person. You don’t have to go out and be loud and be the life of the party. You can lead by example.”

Colbert is exemplary in the classroom with a 3.8 grade-point average.

“Nobody’s got to tell me to work hard,” Colbert said. “I always wanted to get to the next level. I guess I get it from my parents. They’ve been pushing me on my grades since I was little. I’ve been on the honor roll since elementary school. I just applied it to athletics.”

Said his father: “[His mother, Berma] and I remember the ‘60s and ‘70s when there was so much complaining about athletes not having it mentally.

“Education has always been important for us. How can you learn plays if you’re not learning in the classroom?”

To Colbert, that answer is easy. Just do both.

SNEAK PEEK

Fourth in a nine-part series. Today:

Wednesday: Quarterbacks. Fabulous Foursome

Thursday: Running backs. Manuel White of Valencia

Friday: Offensive linemen. Steve Nevarez of San Fernando

Wide receivers. Keary Colbert of Hueneme

Sunday: Tight ends. Will Svitek of Newbury Park

Sept. 1: Defensive linemen. Travis Johnson of Notre Dame

Sept. 2: Linebackers. Patrick Norton of Hart