Browns Draft San Diego State’s Slaugther

San Diego State’s Webster Slaughter, the school’s fifth-leading receiver of all time, was just about to fall asleep Tuesday morning when he was awakened by some people screaming in his living room. The yelling turned out to be music to his ears.

The people in his apartment were celebrating the announcement on television that Slaughter had become the second-round choice of the Cleveland Browns in Tuesday’s National Football League draft.

Talk about memorable wake-up calls. The Browns, who did not have a first-round selection, made Slaughter the 43rd player drafted overall.

“There were four or five teams who said they would take me in the second round if I was still available,” Slaughter said. “I actually thought I would go a bit earlier but some of those teams passed me up.”

Slaughter, who caught 82 passes for 1,071 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago, was the nation’s fourth-leading receiver and a second-team Associated Press All-American. He also returned punts and kickoffs last season, averaging 9.3 yards on punt returns and 21.7 yards on kickoff runbacks.

“We studied every film of him in 1985 and we saw him drop only one ball in all of those games,” Browns Coach Marty Schottenheimer told the Associated Press. “He’s got quickness, which is even better than speed. Plus, he played in a pro-type system out at San Diego State.”

Two other Aztecs were also drafted Tuesday. Offensive tackle Dan Knight (6-4, 270) was drafted in the fourth round by Green Bay, and wide receiver Vince Warren (6-0, 180) was picked in the fifth round by the New York Giants.

Knight, if he makes the team, could play alongside former Aztec lineman Rich Moran, who was picked by Green Bay last year and played some at offensive guard for the Packers last season.

Warren, who averaged over 20 yards a catch for the Aztecs last season, was the first offensive player picked by the Giants.

Among the other Southland players selected were UCLA wide receiver Mike Sherrard, UCLA placekicker John Lee and Cal State Fullerton defensive back Mark Collins.

Sherrard watched the draft from his home in Chico, Calif., expecting to be picked by the New York Giants. But Dallas traded its 20th pick for San Francisco’s 18th, to move ahead of the Giants and make Sherrard--originally a walk-on at UCLA--a first round draft pick.

Lee was the fifth player chosen in the second round by the St. Louis Cardinals.