Wynn Got Early Call a Day Late, but He Didn’t Mind

The phone rang a day later than Milton Wynn had hoped, but it was still the best wake-up call he ever received.

The former Antelope Valley High and Valley College receiver got the call he was waiting for Sunday morning, when the St. Louis Rams informed him he was the team’s fourth-round selection in the NFL draft.

Wynn, who played at Washington State last season, was hoping to be selected during the first day of the draft last Saturday, when the first three rounds were conducted. He said several NFL teams told him he would be selected anywhere from the second to fourth round.

“It wasn’t that good of a day for me,” Wynn said of waiting around Saturday in Las Vegas. “I had to go out Saturday night so I wouldn’t think about it all night. I didn’t get back in until 4:30 a.m. and didn’t get to sleep until 5 a.m.

“The Rams woke me up and told me they just drafted me. That was a cool wake-up call.”

The draft ended a hectic few months for the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Wynn, who had been preparing for another season at Washington State.

Although he played in three college seasons, Wynn was listed as a junior last fall by the Cougars, who hoped he would be granted a sixth-year medical redshirt. He played in only one game for the Cougars in 1999 before missing the rest of the season because of a broken finger.

Wynn played for Bakersfield College in 1996, used his redshirt season at Valley in 1997 and played for the Monarchs in 1998.

After Wynn was denied an extra year by the NCAA in late March, he turned his attention to the draft.

“I was pretty sad when I found out that I wouldn’t be back [at Washington State],” Wynn said. “I just started working out for NFL teams and then everything looked like it would work out.”

Wynn gained the attention of NFL scouts with his workouts and a breakout 2000 season. He was a second-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selection after catching 52 passes for 964 yards and five touchdowns.

He had two workouts before NFL teams where he clocked 4.4 seconds for 40 yards and recorded a 40-inch vertical leap.

“We are very fortunate to have him,” Rams Coach Mike Martz said Sunday. “He has excellent hands. There were three instances on [videotape] where he goes up over the [cornerback] and takes the ball away. He’s a good fit for us.”

Wynn said he is seeking a contract worth $300,000 a year with a signing bonus of around $350,000. He will head to St. Louis on Thursday for a mini-camp.

“For this to be happening to me is pretty exciting,” Wynn said. “[At Antelope Valley High] I wasn’t even the best guy on the team. I was a late-bloomer and things started happening for me.”

Wynn was a member of the 1994 Southern Section Division II championship team. He also played on the 1995 team that lost in the championship game to Hart.