Ethridge Regarded as Deep Threat

SAN DIEGO — He left Patrick Rowe behind in the 200 meters while running as a senior for Crawford High School, and now after being selected in the third round of the draft, Ray Ethridge returns home to run alongside Chargers’ wide receiver Anthony Miller.

“It was on Anthony’s urging that I went ahead and played football at Pasadena City College,” Ethridge said. “I was going to run track and transfer to USC. While I was at Pasadena, everybody compared me to Anthony and now I’m going to play with him.”

Miller left Pasadena City College in 1985 and went on to distinguish himself at Tennessee before being picked in Round 1 of the 1988 draft. Ethridge, the San Diego Section record-holder at 200 meters (21.00 seconds), played for British Columbia in the Canadian Football League last season after two seasons at Pasadena.

“I think he is every bit as good as Anthony Miller,” said Dennis Gossard, head football coach at Pasadena City College, “and that’s a heck of a compliment to Anthony, because I think they both are good football players.”

Gossard, an assistant coach while Miller was at Pasadena, said, “Raymond is every bit as fast. He’s a steal, believe me; he’s going to get nothing but better. He’s a tough competitor, too. He thinks he’s every bit as good as (Michigan’s) Desmond Howard.”

General Manager Bobby Beathard, who has a well-earned draft-day reputation for plucking players from obscurity, had hoped to keep Ethridge in hiding. However, Ethridge dazzled the scouts at the NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis, and Beathard figured he could wait no longer than Round 3 to grab the speedster, who was known as “The Missile,” in the CFL.

“This guy beat the Rocket (Ismail) in a 100-meter race, so you know what kind of speed he has,” Beathard said. “We were hoping he wouldn’t be invited to the Combine and thought he’d be an obscure receiver come draft day. He had the second-fastest time at the Combine, and was first in the vertical jump.”

Ethridge signed a letter of intent to attend New Mexico State, but opted to play in the CFL, he said, because he had a child and needed the money for her care. He caught 18 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, and then asked for and was granted his release to try the NFL.

“I’m not a track guy,” he said. “I’m a football guy who can run track.”

Ethridge was born in San Diego, but moved to Texas while in seventh grade. He returned late in his senior year and enrolled at Crawford. He was named athlete of the year by the San Diego County Track Coaches Assn. after finishing third in the 100, fourth in the 200 and fourth in the 400 relay at the state championship meet.

“I raced against Patrick Rowe six times and lost twice,” said Ethridge, who was selected 11 picks behind Rowe, and 59 choices behind Howard.

Ethridge may be faster than Rowe and Howard, but can he catch the ball?

“I might lack a little concentration when it comes to catching the ball,” Ethridge said, “but I can catch very well.”