His coach at John Jay High School once told him, "You're only as good as your last game." If that's so--and Santiago believes it is--then Yale had better watch out.

So Santiago--who still feels bad about losing his final high school game 42.6--is grateful for one more chance to prove himself.

Yale will be in for a long afternoon against the lightning-quick runner who redefines the classic definition of fullback every time he grabs the ball and heads for the sidelines.

Harvard Coach Joe Restic, never one to lavish undue praise on his players, practically gushes when describing his star fullback. "He has football sense on the field, he knows what to do," the Crimson mentor says.

"He has the sense, he has the ability, so in a way he's gifted," Restic adds.

Santiago does have some weaknesses, most notably his sub-par blocking and his ineffective passing this year (he has no completions and one interception in two attempts).

But the self-effacing San Antonio native is the first to point out his inadequacies on the field. Unfortunately, Santiago's most prominent problem is the one that's kept him off the field injuries.

Santiago, the Crimson's starting fullback a year ago, was injured against Cornell last year after racking up 180 yards in six games. He missed the rest of the season.

He attributes his general healthiness this year to the "terrific weather," and to preventive measures he has taken in conjunction with the Harvard trainers.

Move It On Over

After his season at fullback, Santiago began this year as the Crimson's wingback. But when Brian Cooke, who was pencilled in as the starter at fullback during the preseason, was injured. Santiago took his place. Restic has never looked back.

From the fullback slot, Santiago has surpassed all of the goals he set for himself at the beginning of the season. He's even caught more passes at fullback, he believes, than he would have as a wingback.

With his pass-catching and running, he's been the catalyst in leading Harvard to a run for the Ivy title.

So what does the junior think about next season? "I think we'll win every game," he says. "If you don't think you're going to win, you know you're in trouble."