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Show t- . f-' frr-i (T T?x (? Tditor's Note: The following is a special interview conducted with former BYL' defensive standout, Chuck Ehin. who was drafted in the 12th round by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football Conference. Confer-ence. (The interview was conducted over the phone from Chuck's hotel room in San Piego where he is presently working out with the Chargers.) There may have been a few people in the Orem, Utah area last Friday that were expectant expec-tant of a phone call, but none more than Chuck and Barbara Ehin who were awaiting "any kind of new s about the day's National Football League's players draft. WHY WOULDN'T Chuck be excited about getting a phone call? In his discussions with NFL scouts from such teams as Seattle and Dallas, he'd been told that he ranked as high as 1 1th among major college linemen. It's no secret sec-ret that he expected to be drafted and it wouldn't have been surprising to have seen him get picked as soon as the fifth or sixth round. But for a variety of reasons no new s came of getting picked, not at least until late, late Friday Fri-day night. "THE PHONE kept ringing throughout the day, but it was friends and people asking if I'd gone in the draft yet. Finally a friend came over to cheer me up, but we'd basically given up," said the former Layton Lancer girdiron great. "But about 1 1:30 p.m. that night, the phone rang and it was someone from the San Diego Charger's organization. He told me that if no one else picked me up, that I'd be going there as a Charger. He had me hold the line for about 20 minutes and later confirmed the fact I was going to San Diego. We later went out for pizzas piz-zas that night and didn't get to bed until 3 a.m. that night," said Ehin. i A FEW DAYS later Ehin was off to San Diego to workout w ith the fellow draftees and free agents. Chuck has decided to stay over through this w eek and attend the same type ot camp for the veterans this weekend. The April and May workouts are nothine. more than to familarize the poienii.d Chargers with the kind of defenses and offenses run by the organization. "It's just getting used to the system." Chuck reported. BUT THE starting day that things w ill r:i!l count for Chuck and the other oiai'tees w ill not be until July 15th when official camps begin, operation. "It's from there that we'll find who makes it and who doesn't." said Finn. Chuck has found a few things familiar in the workouts, one thing of w hich is v ery familiar. "So far it's been like it was at BYL'. going against a pass-crazy offense. 1 tend to believ e they (San Diego) are looking for some good pass-defense people. "I'VE ALSO BEEN able to meet a few familiar famil-iar faces like Mike Green, who was drafted in the ninth round from Oklahoma State. Mike and I became pretty good friends when we played in the Blue-Gray Bowl game." he said. "I'm excited about being here." said Fhin. "It's a complete shot in the daik. because I didn't even know that San Diego was interested in-terested in me. 1 know the Chargers drafted to beef up their defense and it would be special ill were to make the team and help them." WHAT ARE Ehin's realistic chances of landing a spot on the team'.' Though it's probably prob-ably still too early to tell. Fhin stated, "There's a lot of competition and believe me. everyone is good. But at this point with everyone still learning the sy stem, 1 think it's a toss-up. it's pretty even." . : ' -V, Scv-W-m' v.v, , ,:-' S-V - w ' ' V : " :-' v . ft- ' .- - ''-.:.;- : ; ; ' s . - r i lIllilS$Ill ;,-'' i lafiipWe'W::":;'e ' ; ; : i ; IfigMi::":-"'-' 1 I !;. - ;e,:' ' ' fi' '' ' - ; '7':,-.."-.-''---:.i'"v' 3 - ' v -: - ; m.ym , .. v-'.- ' . r.' :"": :': ;i ; i i : :: : ,: :'.i' ' :. '. ' ' ; i'. ;-V YC S . . : ' r-'ie '".,'? " t , . - " L: . ; L ' ci t- ' .. ' '. x-.? Chuck Ellin, aflrr ronipleliiip;a successful taicci as tiosriiai (I at I'.VI '. n led i. y,, niodciatcly high in the N IT, (Inift. But the I.liins had to wait until l.ui one n-n i,, In',,! (Hit Chuck had been di al led bv the Chargers. |