UDFA QB Ricky Santos

[bideau]

Hi All,

I'm a member of your sister site PatriotsPlanet. I thought you might be interested in this article about UDFA QB Ricky Santos, Bellingham (MA) hometown (and UNH) QB Ricky Santos who was signed by KC. My daughter was in his class at BHS and I got to see his HS career while he was here. All he did was win three state championships. He's also an all-around athlete. In '03, they're senior year, teams he was on won the D-3 football state championship, the D-3 basketball state championship, and D-2 baseball state runner-ups.

BTW, great draft by the Chiefs.

Kansas City, here comes Ricky

By Lenny Megliola/Daily News staff
Posted Apr 28, 2008 @ 09:55 PM

Ricky Santos was at his Bellingham home in front of the TV for what seemed like an eternity. He was keeping tabs, name by name, on the entire NFL Draft. No, Santos isn't one of those obsessed draftniks. His reason was personal.

He was looking for his name to pop up on the screen.

The draft came and went, with no mention of his name. The silence was deafening at the Santos household where he watched the draft with family and friends. His agent, Brad Blank, had cautioned Santos not to be too discouraged if he wasn't picked.

"He did a good job managing my prospects in the draft," said Santos, "but obviously it would've been nice to see my name up there."

Santos' high school career at Bellingham was the stuff of legend, and once he got to New Hampshire, a Div. I-AA school, he never stepped on the brake. In fact, the quarterback obliterated the record book, throwing for 13,212 yards and 123 touchdowns.

Twenty minutes after the draft had concluded, the phone rang. The Kansas City Chiefs had dropped the dime.

"They wanted to give me a free agent deal," says Santos.

He wasn't in a position to say no. Santos talked to Kansas City quarterbacks coach Dick Curl, who told him the team had kept an eye on him. It was all news to Santos. The contract is for two years.

Earlier this month the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Santos had planned to work out for a number of teams at New Hampshire. The weather that day was a mess, with snow, sleet and cold forcing Santos to audition inside the fieldhouse. New Hampshire's indoor facility isn't quite the same as, say, Alabama's or Michigan's.

"Our facilities are pretty poor," says Santos, who had to throw off the running track. "It wasn't my best day. I threw the ball pretty well, but there's only so much you can show them throwing indoors."

Only three NFL teams sent someone to watch Santos at UNH: the Patriots, Steelers and Eagles.

The day before, more than 20 NFL teams were represented at Boston College's Pro Day, specifically to see Matt Ryan. Santos had planned on working out that day, too, but was disappointed to find out that only players from colleges in Massachusetts or from towns within a certain distance of Boston proper could perform for NFL eyes under the BC bubble.

"I had been working out with BC kids for that day," says Santos. It seemed like another setback.

The Patriots did call Blank last week before the draft to discuss any scenario in which they'd draft or sign Santos. But it became a moot point when New England took quarterback Kevin O'Connell out of San Diego State in the third round.

Naturally, Santos hopes to compete for the Kansas City starting job, but that may not be realistic. He'd settle for winning the third-string job over David Greene and Tyler Thigpen. Damon Huard, an 11-year NFL vet who will be 35 next season, and Brodie Croyle, 25, split the Chiefs' quarterback duties last season. Huard's QB rating was 76.8, Croyle's 69.9.

"My goal is to make the team," says Santos, a terrific all-around athlete (basketball, baseball) in high school. "It doesn't matter if you're drafted in the first round or a free agent, everything you do in the NFL is a tryout. I want to see how the process unfolds."

As far as the nerveracking draft process goes, Santos says "I'm kind of glad it's over. I was uncertain where I was going to be. I'm satisfied with this."

If it doesn't work out, the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL have shown interest in Santos. But he's thinking more heartland than north of the border these days.

"I'm anxious to get to Kansas City, and throw the ball again," he said

It's a start.

[DenverChief]

Cool thanks

[InChiefsHeaven]

Interesting. Good luck kid...

[DenverChief]

Stat Overview	Passing
YEAR	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	YPA	LNG	TD	INT	SACK	RAT
2004	272	425	3318	64.0	7.81	60	31	10	23	148.94
2005	301	429	3797	70.2	8.85	66	39	9	21	170.32
2006	293	432	3125	67.8	7.23	43	29	7	35	147.50
2007	256	350	2972	73.1	8.49	58	24	7	30	163.10

[KCJohnny]

Hopefully he's not the QB version of Brian Shay. Seems like a wunderkind. Good luck, kid. May have to go set some records in NFLE before securing a permanent roster spot.

I heard a rumor that Thigpen's injury last year was more severe than we thought and he may not be 100% by camp.

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by KCJohnny

May have to go set some records in NFLE before securing a permanent roster spot.

The NFLE is now defunct.

[KCJohnny]

Originally Posted by Spicy McHaggis

The NFLE is now defunct.

Oh.

Hopefully he'll see some PT in preseason. I think Gailey's system will be more athlete-friendly and less scheme-oriented.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by bideau

Hi All,

I'm a member of your sister site PatriotsPlanet. I thought you might be interested in this article about UDFA QB Ricky Santos, Bellingham (MA) hometown (and UNH) QB Ricky Santos who was signed by KC. My daughter was in his class at BHS and I got to see his HS career while he was here. All he did was win three state championships. He's also an all-around athlete. In '03, they're senior year, teams he was on won the D-3 football state championship, the D-3 basketball state championship, and D-2 baseball state runner-ups.

BTW, great draft by the Chiefs.

thanks for dropping by and adding your two cents.

Honestly, every QB who ever makes it to the NFL has a similiar story. You cant make it to that level without having talent of some sort.

[KCJohnny]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

thanks for dropping by and adding your two cents.

Honestly, every QB who ever makes it to the NFL has a similiar story. You cant make it to that level without having talent of some sort.

?

[HypnotizedMonkey]

Is is wife smoking hot, though? cause that's all that matters.