Sports Insider by Frank Coppola: Question of the Week: Does Ricky Santos have a future in the NFL?

April 26, 2008

Question of the Week: Does Ricky Santos have a future in the NFL?

With the NFL draft happening this weekend, thoughts on the Seacoast are naturally with University of New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos, who had one of the top passing careers in Division I-AA history. Santos has reveived lukewarm reports from NFL scouts, however, leaving his future in pro football in doubt. So we ask:

Does former UNH star Ricky Santos have a future in the National Football League?

Ed Flaherty
Seacoast Media Group sports editor
Yes. Unfortunately for Santos and his fans, however, that future will most likely encompass holding a clipboard on the sidelines. Santos isn’t a prototypical drop-back passer that makes NFL scouts drool, and while his ability to scramble was a weapon at the Division I-AA level, he won’t be able to get away with it in the NFL, where the speed and size of the competition increases significantly. Santos could follow the path of another New England quarterback considered to not fit the NFL mold: Doug Flutie. The Canadian Football League could be a virtual playground for Santos. The CFL’s wider and longer field rewards improvisation — something Wildcat fans have enjoyed on a weekly basis over Santos’ four wildly successful seasons in Durham. While Santos may not become a household name for NFL fans, it certainly doesn’t mean his football playing days are over.

Frank Coppola
Seacoast Media Group assistant sports editor
Yes. The list of former Wildcats to play in the NFL isn’t a long one, but Santos is a player who has made a habit of silencing his doubters over the years. Ignored by most Division I teams out of high school, Santos headed to Durham and became one of the most prolific I-AA quarterbacks in history. Santos passed for 6,097 yards, 53 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his final two seasons. As a point of comparison, Delaware’s Joe Flacco — the 18th overall pick by the Ravens on Saturday — threw for 7,046 yards, 41 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over the same period in the same league. Going undrafted this weekend may help Santos, who would be free to sign with the team of his choice.

Roger Brown
Seacoast Media Group staff writer
NFL scouts don’t seem to think so, but what do they know? Antonio Gates, Kurt Warner, Rod Smith and Priest Holmes are among the players who went undrafted and still went on to have excellent NFL careers. It doesn’t seem likely that Santos will be selected today, so his future in the NFL may come down to how well he places himself as a free agent. The quarterback position is all about making plays, and, as UNH fans know, Santos is nothing if not a playmaker. If Delaware’s Joe Flacco is a possible NFL starter — Baltimore selected him with Saturday’s 18th overall pick — then at the very least Santos will carve out an NFL career as a No. 2 or No. 3 QB.

Mike Zhe
Seacoast Media Group staff writer
It might not look great right now for Santos, but I certainly wouldn’t bet against him. This is a player whose competitive fire is stoked by the criticism of others. Yes, he’s hearing that he lacks the size, arm strength and big-school pedigree to be an NFL quarterback, but that’s a chorus familiar to him. “It’s probably the same kind of stuff he faced coming out of high school,” said UNH coach Sean McDonnell. With a deep roster of draftable quarterbacks this year, the best case for Santos is probably a free-agent signing. If it’s the right situation, look for him to eventually confound the doubters the way he did at UNH.

Mike Sullivan
Seacoast Media Group columnist
Santos has the skill set and the athleticism to at least warrant a good look from an NFL team if given the opportunity, but the problem is luck clearly has not been on his side. First he didn’t get invited to the NFL combine despite a decent performance in the Hula Bowl. Then he wasn’t allowed to participate in Pro Day at Boston College, and when he worked out for pro scouts at State U in Durham, the indoor surface he worked out on was slippery and didn’t help his cause. Santos is probably going to have to catch on in the CFL or even the Arena Football League where he can make an impact, turn some heads and hopefully get his shot down the road.

Posted by Frank Coppola at April 26, 2008 11:47 PM

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