Santos, a Bit Puzzled, Now Waits and Hopes That Today’s His Day

Todd Santos, San Diego State’s record-setting quarterback, said earlier this week that Sunday was going to be a “big day.” When the day ended, and five rounds of the 1988 National Football League draft had come and gone, Santos reported glumly that in actuality it had been a rather “slow day.”

Santos was not selected by any NFL teams Sunday, and must wait until today to find out what is in store for his professional football future.

Only two quarterbacks were taken in the first five rounds, and one of them, Ohio State’s Tom Tupa, is probably only going to be a punter for the Phoenix Cardinals, who drafted him in the third round (68th pick overall). Chris Chandler of the University of Washington was the only “pure” quarterback taken Sunday, selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round with the 76th pick.

“I guess somebody just figured that this is a bad year for quarterbacks,” Santos said by phone from his home in Selma, Calif. “Some people had been saying that I might go in the second or third round, but I was being realistic and thinking the fourth or fifth.”

Santos threw for 11,425 yards in his career, more than any other passer in National Collegiate Athletic Assn. history.

With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that Santos said the emotion he felt most after Sunday’s selections was one of confusion, rather than disappointment or anger.

“It’s just hard to figure out,” he said. “I don’t really have any answers. This was a real slow, long day for me. The phone rang a few times, but after a while, I guess I really didn’t think it would be anything (concerning the draft).”

The NFL draft will resume today, and Santos’ prospects for a pro career will be diminished by each round that passes without his being drafted.

“It has to have some affect,” Santos said. “The higher round you’re taken in, the more of a shot you’ll get. I’ll just have to hope I get in a good situation.”

Santos, who stayed home all day Sunday, said he’ll probably get in a little golf today near his home. But he said, he doubts he’ll be breaking any clubs.

“Last week, I broke my 2-iron trying to hit a shot against a tree,” he said. “I can’t afford to throw any more around (today).”

Draft notes

Sunday wasn’t a total loss for San Diego area football players as Eric Allen, formerly of Point Loma High School, and Chuck Cecil, formerly of Helix High, were drafted. Allen, a cornerback from Arizona State, was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round. Cecil, a safety from the University of Arizona, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in round four . . . Besides Todd Santos, two other San Diego State players, safety Harold Hicks and cornerback Clarence Nunn, could be drafted today.