1987 Draft : USC’s McDonald Is the First Local Player Selected : Bregel, Okoye Are Also Picked in Second Round of NFL Draft

Tim McDonald, USC’s All-American safety, seemed surprised that he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the National Football League draft Tuesday, and had mixed emotions about it.

Another second-round choice, Christian Okoye of Azusa Pacific, an accomplished athlete but a late bloomer as a football player, was simply happy that he was going to the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Jeff Bregel USC’s All-American guard, was elated and punched the air when he heard that he had been drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round.

It had been conjectured that Bregel and USC cornerback Lou Brock would be drafted ahead of McDonald. But McDonald was the first Southern California college athlete chosen.

He was the sixth pick in the second round, 34th overall. Okoye followed, then Bregel was the ninth pick, 37th overall. Brock was chosen late in the second round, 53rd pick overall.

McDonald was somewhat stunned because he’d had no contact with St. Louis.

“I never worked out for St. Louis, never talked to to anyone from St. Louis, nor did I expect to go to St. Louis,” McDonald said, echoing statements made by another Cardinal pick, quarterback Kelly Stouffer.. “I wanted to stay close to home and I wanted to be on a playoff team. Hopefully, they’ll become a playoff team.”

McDonald said that he’d had visits from about 22 other NFL teams before the draft. Just before St. Louis drafted him, with Houston next in the order, McDonald said softly: “I’m not excited about those teams coming up.”

Then, St. Louis said hello, and McDonald seemed relieved that the suspense had, at least, ended.

“I’m glad it’s all over, so let’s play football,” he said. “I’ll make the best of it.”

The 6-foot 3-inch, 255-pound Okoye came to Azusa Pacific from Nigeria to throw the discus and wound up becoming a football player as well.

“It’s an exciting day for me,” he said. “Kansas City had shown some interest in me earlier.”

Asked if he had ever envisioned playing in the NFL at the outset of his brief football career, Okoye said: “I never thought about it.”

Bregel and McDonald watched the draft on ESPN, the cable sports network, in West Los Angeles with their lawyer-agent Leigh Steinberg.

Bregel was projected as a possible late first-round choice. However, when the first round ended, three offensive linemen had been drafted and he was still waiting.

Steinberg made the point that if a player is not a high, first-round choice, then the best thing is to go to a winning team, one that pays well, is relatively close to the athlete’s home and is located in a big city.

San Francisco fits all of those specifications for Bregel, who grew up in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley.

Bregel said he went through a range of emotions while his professional future was on the line.

“I was pretty up for being a possible late first-round choice, then, when the teams passed by, I was a little down,” he said. “But I’m up now. San Francisco is a great team to play for. It’s a great situation for me and I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Bregel said that he probably missed out on the first round because he hadn’t impressed scouts at an NFL scouting combine camp in Indianapolis last January.

“They test you in every possible way,” he said. “I had trouble sleeping and I didn’t perform as well as I could. They condemned my athletic ability and I’m a better athlete than they think I am.”

Bregel, 6-4 and 280, a four-year starter at USC, said, in retrospect, that he probably should have practiced for some drills that were required of him.

“I ran a slow 40-yard dash and I ran faster later for the Raiders,” he said.

Bregel was banned by the NCAA from playing in USC’s Citrus Bowl game against Auburn in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 1, when he tested positive for steroid use. He said he had used steroids last summer to speed the rehabilitation process from arthroscopic knee surgery.

He added that that he tested negative for chemical use at the NFL scouting combine camp in Indianapolis.

Some defensive backs were drafted ahead of McDonald, but he didn’t consider it a slight.

“They’re all good football players,” he said.

Asked if he expected to play strong safety, his USC position, in St. Louis, McDonald smiled and said: “For all I know I could be a center.”

Although Bregel and McDonald are experienced football players, the powerful Okoye, a larger version of Herschel Walker, may have more potential.

“We’re all excited for him,” said Azusa Pacific track Coach Terry Franson. “There was some talk in Denver that he might go in the first round, but he isn’t disappointed. One scout told me that there wasn’t a man in the draft who weighed over 250 pounds who could run the 40 in under 4.5 seconds.”

Okoye warmed up for the draft with five throws over 200 feet in the discus Sunday at the Puma-Mt. San Antonio Relays with a best of 207.

This wasn’t UCLA’s year for the draft. The first Bruin to be taken was tight end Derek Tennell by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round. Three more Bruins went later, as Indianapolis selected linebacker Chuckie Miller in the eighth round and San Diego drafted center Joe Goebel in the 11th round and running back Marcus Greenwood in the 12th round.

UCLA will be heard from next year with such blue-chip athletes as tailback Gaston Green, linebacker Ken Norton, defensive back James Washington, nose tackle Terry Tumey, tailback James Primus, fullback Mel Farr, wide receiver Willie Anderson and, possibly, offensive tackle David Richards, a transfer from SMU.

After McDonald, Okoye, Bregel and Brock were selected, the Pittsburgh Steelers chose wide receiver Charles Lockett of Cal State Long Beach in the third round, 66th pick overall.

Cal State Fullerton had two players picked in the ninth round. Running back Rick Calhoun went to Detroit, while defensive tackle Ron McLean was drafted by the New York Jets.