Draft History: 1988

The Cowboys added another competitor to their arms race Monday with the selection of Virginia quarterback Scott Secules in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

Secules, 6-3 and 218 pounds, was the the third quarterback chosen, following Washington's Chris Chandler (third round, Indianapolis) and Syracuse's Don McPherson (sixth round, Philadelphia) and ahead of such notable quarterbacks as Kerwin Bell, Mike Perez and Todd Santos.

Secules joins Steve Pelluer, Danny White, Kevin Sweeney and Paul McDonald in a crowded field of Cowboys quarterbacks. Coach Tom Landry said Secules could challenge for a third-team job and that he likes Secules' potential.

"He would be battling, probably, to stay on our roster (this summer)," Landry said, "but he's a quarterback that has a future. He hasn't really played a lot. A guy like Chandler is a proven player. He has the skins on the wall. This kid Secules is still coming."

If Sweeney, last year's seventh-round pick, can't beat out Pelluer for the starting job, could Secules push him out of a roster spot? White, a 13-year veteran, likely will be retained as the No. 2 quarterback. Secules is bigger than the 5-11 Sweeney, but Landry disregarded the size factor.

"Sweeney has some unusual qualities," Landry said, "and I'm anxious to see what he's going to do when it really comes down to it."

At Virginia, Secules played behind Don Majkowski, now a starter at Green Bay, for three seasons. As as senior, Secules set school records for completions (174), yards passing (2,311) and 200-yard games (five).

"The guy has an excellent delivery," Landry said. "It's amazing how he throws the ball. He's probably the quickest guy on delivering the ball that we've seen. And he's very smart. He's got good height."

Still, Secules' selection surprised a number of NFL teams. The Washington Redskins, for one, were stunned the Cowboys preferred Secules to Northeast Louisiana's Stan Humphries.

As a possible prelude to a Jay Schroeder deal, the Redskins had displayed considerable interest in Humphries before the draft. Redskins offensive coordinator Dan Henning visited Humphries twice, and coach Joe Gibbs auditioned him last week. The Schroeder deal never came off, but the Redskins still drafted Humphries in the sixth round, seven spots after the Cowboys took Secules.

In the seventh round, the Cowboys recruited another sasquatch for their offensive line, choosing Oregon State tackle Owen Hooven, who stands 6-9 and weighs 301. Brandt on Monday brought out a picture of a redwood and told reporters it was a photo of Hooven.

The Cowboys went to the opposite extreme in the eighth round, selecting stump-sized running back Mark Higgs of Kentucky. Higgs (5-7, 195) looks like the New York Giants' Joe Morris, and Brandt said Higgs brings a 43-inch vertical leap.

In rounds nine and 10, the Cowboys went with players who had switched positions in college. Ninth-round choice Brian Bedford, a lanky 6-3, 215-pound wide receiver from California, was a quarterback in his first two college seasons. Tenth-round selection Billy Owens, a strong safety from Pitt, was a running back as a freshman.

In round 11, Brandt made a pick for the distant future. He selected defensive end Chad Hennings, the Outland Trophy winner who had 24 sacks for the Air Force Academy last season. The catch: Because of military obligations, Hennings will not be able to play for the Cowboys for at least five years.

In the 12th round, the Cowboys closed their draft with the selection of UCLA linebacker Ben Hummel, a Rockwall High School graduate. Hummel transferred to UCLA from SMU last spring along with tackle David Richards after the NCAA shut down the Mustangs' football program for repeat violations.