Saints Select Santos, but They Make No Promises

Todd Santos, whose outlook on a possible professional football career was dimmed considerably Sunday when he wasn’t drafted in the first five rounds of the National Football League draft, was finally drafted Monday. But his future doesn’t look a whole lot brighter.

The New Orleans Saints waited until the 10th round to make Santos, San Diego State’s record-setting quarterback, the 274th pick of the draft, and then the team didn’t exactly blow horns to signal his arrival.

Even though Santos passed for more yardage (11,425) than any other player in National Collegiate Athletic Assn. history, he was only the ninth quarterback taken in the draft, having his name called after such players as Northeast Louisiana’s Stan Humphries (6th round, Washington) and Wisconsin’s Bud Keyes (10th round, Green Bay).

“He (Santos) had a very impressive college career, but he still has a long way to go before he becomes a professional quarterback,” Saint General Manager Jim Finks said. “He’ll have to speed up his delivery. He has what I call a lazy arm.”

The Saints thought more of Santos’ college teammate, cornerback Clarence Nunn, and made him their ninth-round selection, the 246th overall pick. Nunn led San Diego State in interceptions last season with three and played in the Japan Bowl.

Harold Hicks, who played well his junior season at free safety but struggled as a strong safety during his senior season, was the first San Diego State player picked, going to the Washington Redskins in the seventh round. The Redskins, who have been interested in Hicks for quite a while, told him that he would be playing cornerback.

San Diego State also had two players drafted in the 12th and final round, punter Wayne Ross (by Washington) and tackle Dave DesRochers (by Seattle).

“I wasn’t surprised at all by the team that drafted me but I was real surprised that I was the first San Diego State player taken,” said Hicks, who like most questioned the reasoning behind the NFL’s failure to grab Santos earlier.

Santos spent Sunday at his parents’ home in Selma, Calif., expecting to be drafted in the first five rounds. Monday, he began waiting again.

“I started sweating a little bit, walking up and down the floor,” Santos said. “For a minute there, I was wondering if I’d get drafted at all.”

The Saints had three quarterbacks on their roster last season. Bobby Hebert started and Dave Wilson and John Fourcade backed him up. Indications are that Santos will challenge Fourcade, a local hero of sorts who sparked the Saints’ during the strike last season, for the third quarterback job.

Draft notes

Though no player from San Diego State was picked in the first six rounds, only 11 other schools in the country had more than five players selected. Oklahoma, with 13, had the most. Only 11 Western Athletic Conference players were taken. . . . The eight quarterbacks taken ahead of Todd Santos: Tom Tupa (Ohio State), Chris Chandler (Washington), Don McPherson (Syracuse), Scott Secules (Virginia), Stan Humphries (Northeast Louisiana), Mike Perez (San Jose State), Kerwin Bell (Florida), Bud Keyes (Wisconsin). . . . The Atlanta Falcons seemed to have the most interest in San Diego area players, drafting three. Linebacker Marcus Cotton of Lincoln High School and USC went in the second round, defensive back Charles Dimry of Oceanside High and Nevada Las Vegas went in the fifth round and running back James Primus of Sweetwater High and UCLA went in the ninth round.