THEY DON'T WANT TO LOOK FOR SOME, WAITING TO HEAR NAME CALLED IS TOO MUCH.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Most will spend today or tomorrow alone, in a selmposed prison. Some will allow themselves a television. Others don't want the temptation.

Everything they've worked for, the months under the microscope, the psychological analyses and mind games - they all culminate now.

Being selected in the NFL draft, which begins with three rounds today and continues with four rounds Sunday, is a dream come true for college football players. But with a huddle of hopefuls and no clear-cut early picks, local players are on edge.

``It's going to be tough,'' said USC cornerback Kris Richard, who could go in the third round. ``I know a lot of people are going to want to come over to my home and watch the draft. They say it will be fun. Yeah, it will be fun for them.

``It's hard to have confidence over a situation that you have no control over. Your future is in the hands of people who you don't really know and who, in all honesty, don't really know you.''

DeShaun Foster likely will be the first of a possible 10 UCLA players who could be drafted. Foster, linebacker Robert Thomas, defensive back Marques Anderson and defensive end Kenyon Coleman, along with USC's Richard, all have a chance at going the first day. In comparison, only one Bruin, wide receiver Freddie Mitchell, was selected in the entire draft last season.

Less than six months ago, Foster was a Heisman Trophy hopeful and UCLA was 6-0 and No. 4 in the country. The running back was expected to be a top-10 pick. Then Foster was suspended for accepting free use of an SUV, and UCLA crumbled to a 7-4 finish with no bowl appearance.

Now, he could go late in the first round or slip to midway through the second. He has had to listen to scouts question his ability not to fumble, along with his character.

But that's life for a prospective NFL pick. Nobody makes it through without having all his perceived faults thrown back in his face.

``If I were investing millions of dollars into someone, I would do the same thing,'' Anderson said. ``I understand what they're trying to do.''

Anderson was criticized as being too short (5-foot-10) for an NFL strong safety and lacking make-up speed. He answered by running a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, the fastest time at the position.

Anderson is one of a couple locals who has improved his draft status during workouts. He might have moved up into the third round by showing his speed, though his size remains a concern.

Thomas, an All-America inside linebacker who led the Bruins with 111 tackles, also improved his position by shaking the ``slow'' moniker with a 4.5 time in the 40 at the combine. He said many teams picking near the end of the first round have been in contact with him, though the second round is more likely. Both Anderson and Thomas wouldn't mind going to their childhood favorite, the Oakland Raiders.

Perhaps neither of the Bruins have moved up as far as Richard. The USC cornerback was told he is slow, long-legged and stiff. After earning the starting job as a sophomore in 1999 and returning two of his six interceptions for touchdowns, Richard dislocated his kneecap one game into his junior season and didn't look the same the rest of the year.

Richard thinks scouts remembered his struggles as a junior rather than his solid senior year, when he had two interceptions and returned one for a game-winning touchdown against Arizona.

``I don't understand where all these people were getting I was slow,'' Richard said. ``They said they looked on film and estimated I had 4.5 speed. Why not look on film and appreciate someone who doesn't have to run fast all the time? I tell you, if you're running full-speed every time, you're getting beat.''

But Richard also proved himself at the combine, running a 4.42 in the 40. That didn't ease the frustration. He admits the negative comments bothered him.

``People form opinions and a lot of times really don't know what they're talking about,'' USC teammate Antuan Simmons said. ``It's kind of hard once they form their opinion to get that rap off you.''

Simmons is continuing his inspirational story. Once one of the best cornerbacks in the Pacific-10 Conference, Simmons missed the entire 2000 season after spending six weeks in the hospital to recover from surgery to remove an abdominal tumor. He returned as a fifth-year senior but played free safety. Entering the draft as a cornerback, he found many scouts thought of him as a player making a position switch rather than the guy who entered USC as a cornerback.

Simmons should be drafted on the second day, joined by teammates DE Lonnie Ford, CB Chris Cash, DT Ryan Nielson and TE Kori Dickerson. UCLA WR Brian Poli-Dixon, DT Anthony Fletcher, TE Bryan Fletcher and DT Ken Kocher also likely will be drafted Sunday. Other locals with a chance to be picked are UCLA long-snapper Jeff Grau and QB Scott McEwan, USC safety Frank Strong and FB Charlie Landrigan, Cal State Northridge QB Marcus Brady and former Hart High of Newhall QB David Neill out of Nevada.

McEwan, who started only one game in his career at UCLA, impressed at the Paradise Bowl for seniors, leading a fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdown passes. He is drawing interest from the Washington Redskins, though he likely will accept an offer from the CFL.

``One Redskins scout said he would really like to see them draft me so I don't go to another team after the draft,'' said McEwan, a Thousand Oaks High alum.

Any players who aren't drafted might get the opportunity to try out for a team during training camp.

The players expected to go the first day and the ones just hoping to be picked will have nerves in common over the weekend.

Ford and Simmons said they likely would watch the draft alone. Thomas said he would have family over but lock himself in his room. Only Anderson said he plans to watch with his family at his agent's house.

NFL DRAFT

When: Today (rounds 1-3); Sunday (rounds 4-7)

Where: Madison Square Garden 

Time limits: Round 1: 15 minutes for each team. Round 2: 10 minutes for each team. Rounds 3-7: Five minutes for each team.

TV: Today: ESPN, noon-7 p.m. Sunday: ESPN 11 a.m.-1 p.m., ESPN 2 1 p.m.-conclusion.

LOCAL DRAFT HOPEFULS

Marques Anderson, S, UCLA

Hard hitter likely a third-round pick

Marcus Brady, QB, CSUN 

Could help that threw passes to Hawaii WR Ashley Lelie during workouts

Chris Cash, CB, USC

Trojans' best cover-corner probably will drop to fifth or sixth round

Kenyon Coleman, DE, UCLA

Good against the run, midround pick. Redskins show interest

Kori Dickerson, TE, USC

Late draft or training-camp invite

Brian Poli-Dixon, WR, UCLA

Talent to go first day but not consistency

Anthony Fletcher, DT, UCLA

Might sneak in near end of draft

Bryan Fletcher, TE, UCLA

Could go in final round

Lonnie Ford, DE, USC

Likely to go in last two rounds

DeShaun Foster, RB, UCLA

Late first-round or second-round pick

Jeff Grau, long snapper, UCLA

Long shot to be drafted but will be given chance at his specialty

Ken Kocher, DT, UCLA

Likely go in final two rounds

Charlie Landrigan, FB, USC

Gritty blocker with good hands, could go in final round

Scott McEwan, QB, UCLA

Long shot to be drafted by Redskins in seventh round

David Neill, QB, Nevada

Former Hart High of Newhall QB could go in six or seven

Ryan Nielson, DT, USC

Possible final-round selection

Kris Richard, CB, USC

Almost certainly first Trojan to go

Frank Strong, S, USC

Hurts that never stayed long at one position in college

Robert Thomas, LB, UCLA

Could slip in front of Foster as first local player picked

CAPTION(S):

2 boxes

Box:

(1) NFL DRAFT (see text)

(2) LOCAL DRAFT HOPEFULS (see text)