By now, Steve Slaton would have to doubt it.

You know how difficult situations can cause a guy's head to spin? This ever-wacky process had his whole body imitating a revolving door.

After a 3-year career at West Virginia in which he rushed for 3,923 yards and 50 touchdowns, Slaton, a 2005 Conwell-Egan High graduate, declared for the draft a few days into 2008 and hoped/expected to be a prominent pick.

For reasons that were never explained to him, Slaton came to be viewed by some as a marginal prospect.

One mock draft had him dropping as far as the sixth round and just one team, the New England Patriots, subjected him to a personal workout.

Then came yesterday and Day 2 of the annual Pick-'em Party.

Slaton, now listed at 5-9, 197, was selected by a team with which he'd had only minimal contact, and none at all since participating 2 months ago in the NFL Scouting Combine, in Indianapolis.

As the Houston Texans' third-round pick (No. 89) approached, Slaton received a call at his Levittown home.

"Are you ready to be a Texan?" he was asked.

"Yes, I am," he said.

Pretty simple.

Now, is he pumped to buy cowboy boots?

"We'll see about that," he cracked.

Slaton was taken with a pick the Texans had received from the Baltimore Ravens. On the front end of that deal, the Ravens had moved up from No. 26 to 18 in the first round; their selection there was Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, of Audubon High in South Jersey.

Off his sophomore season, which produced 1,744 yards, Slaton entered '07 as a solid Heisman candiate. Although he gained 1,051 yards, the dropoff was significant enough to raise questions.

"No one said to me what improvements I need to make for the pros," Slaton said. "I guess my 'problem' was that the numbers dropped. People were saying I'm 'just a speed back.'

"On my own, I did think about how I could improve [his profile]. I needed to get a little bigger and do the things you expect of an all-around back. That's what I'll be doing, whatever's necessary.

"I've always had doubters. I've done my best work trying to prove myself to them."

Slaton spent Saturday watching the draft in the back yard with his parents, Carl and Juanita, and other family members/friends. Dad did some grilling. Steve, in time, did some frowning.

"I had hopes all the way until the last pick," he said.

"I didn't sleep a whole lot. Mostly tossed and turned. Then we got up to watch it again and I just kept hoping. I said to myself I wanted to get picked by 11:30. It happened at 11:22, so that was cool. Why 11:30? No real reason. Just a way of saying I didn't want to sit around all day again."

On ESPN, Cris Carter said he sees Slaton being able to "solve some problems" in Houston.

"I just want to come in there and make something happen," Slaton said. "I've been dreaming of getting this chance my whole life."

Kyle Shanahan, the Texans' offensive coordinator, compared Slaton with Reggie Bush and Kevin Faulk.

When asked about that by the Houston-area media, Slaton said, "Hopefully, I can get my foot in the door. I can make my own comparison and just be Steve Slaton." *