Ricky Santos has something to prove

Here Ricky Santos goes again.

The quarterback who led the University of New Hampshire football team to the NCAA playoffs in four straight seasons didn't get a whole lot of respect coming out of high school and he's not getting a whole lot of respect coming out of college.

The first two rounds of the NFL draft are today and Santos will have to wait through those. Rounds Three through Seven close out the draft tomorrow. Some draft predictors speculate his name could be called later in the day.

He also could slide through the draft. In that case, he and his agent, the Boston-based Brad Blank, will be able to shop around and try to find the best spot to sign as a free agent, much as former UNH wide receiver David Ball did last year.

Ricky Santos hopes to hear his name called during this weekend’s NFL draft, but may wind up signing as a free agent.

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Ball signed with the Chicago Bears and was on their practice squad the first half of the season and ended the year with the New York Jets.

Blank said yesterday that he has his NFL depth charts ready in case Santos is not drafted.

"We're prepared to figure out what's the best place for him, based on the backups," Blank said. "It's irrelevant who the starter is. We'll look at the kind of pedigree the backup has, how much they have invested in him. And if Rick's drafted, everything I said is moot."

SI.com projects Santos to be an undrafted free agent.

Scott Wright's Draft Countdown lists him as the 22nd best quarterback in the draft and Pro Football Weekly has him at No. 23.

"I'd just like to see him get a chance, and I'm sure he will," said UNH coach Sean McDonnell.

The knock on Santos are everything from his size -- he's listed as just over six feet -- to the size of his hands, from the offense he played in to the competition he played against, from his arm strength to the fact he has dark hair.

OK, the last one was made up.

"They probably think he can't do everything we thought he couldn't do," McDonnell said. "He's not big enough, not fast enough, not strong enough. He got here and kept getting better every day and the more you're around him the more you're glad he's on your team. I'm not sure how good you have to be. But he's pretty darn good."

Santos had some rough going leading up to this weekend. He played in the Hula Bowl in January, but did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. Then NFL rules prohibited him from showing off his skills alongside Matt Ryan, the top-rated quarterback in the draft, at a Pro Day at Boston College.

Instead, the next day he worked out for representatives from the Patriots, Eagles and Steelers at UNH and had to do his agility drills in sneakers on a slippery gym floor.

The way Santos dealt with a succession of setbacks has earned him another fan.

"The thing I love about him is he's been completely optimistic throughout the whole thing," said veteran strength and fitness trainer Mike Boyle. "Maybe he'd have one bad day and then he'd bounce right back and get back to work. He just keeps going. When he gets to a camp, coaches are going to see that."

Santos has worked out with the well-known Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning program in Massachusetts since December.

Boyle likes more than his attitude and approach.

"I think he's a much better athlete than people think he is," Boyle said. "People said he's a shotgun quarterback and doesn't have real good speed. Working him out, you don't get that impression at all. He's a great kid with incredible work habits and leadership habits. I think whoever gets him will be pleasantly surprised."

Take it from Tyler Pruitt, a Boston College linebacker he also works with, Boyle said.

"He said he's seen every quarterback in the ACC throw and nobody there is any better than Santos," Boyle said. "He throws bullets across the field at guys."

Boyle made the comparison to a former BC quarterback.

"Some guys win on what they do," he said. "People were writing Doug Flutie off for 20 years. Ricky is that type of athlete. He's a good, good athlete."

In the next day or two, Santos should find out what the next step is: Going to a pro camp as a draft pick or as a free agent, exploring options in the Canadian Football league, or elsewhere.

He's made it clear he intends to play for pay somewhere.

The doubters?

"It's just a little more fuel," Santos said at UNH's football banquet. "I'm passionate about the game and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."