ESPN and ESPN2 will dedicate about 12 hours of live coverage to the NFL draft on Saturday and Sunday, but former Kansas University quarterback Bill Whittemore won’t be glued to his parents’ television back home in Brentwood, Tenn.

“I’ll probably be on the golf course, but I might flip it on and watch some of it,” Whittemore said. “It’s a really long draft.”

The two-day, seven-round, 255-player draft certainly is long, but it might not be long enough for Whittemore to hear his name called.

“I probably won’t get drafted, but I’m hoping to get a free-agent deal,” Whittemore said. “I just want a chance to play. Hopefully, somebody will take a chance on me, and we’ll see what happens.”

Whittemore passed for 2,385 yards and 18 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior last fall and finished his two-year KU career with 4,041 yards and 24 TDs. But Whittemore was limited to a total of 19 games — out of a possible 25 — by injuries in both seasons, and at 6-foot and 205 pounds he’s considered small by NFL standards.

“That’s definitely a factor,” Whittemore said of his height. “Most teams want the prototype guy.”

Despite a standout senior year, Whittemore wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February at Indianapolis. He did work out for scouts at KU’s Pro Day on March 17 and also had individual workouts with Chicago and Detroit on campus.

“It went pretty well,” he said of the workouts. “I did the best I could. Whether that’s good enough remains to be seen. If they want somebody with my size and my ability, then hopefully things will work out.”

Whittemore’s size has held him back before. He was Mr. Football in Tennessee as a senior in high school and later was named MVP of the East-West Shrine Game, but he settled for a scholarship to Tennessee-Martin when he was overlooked by major colleges.

6Sports video: Whittemore hoping to make NFL roster

He transferred to Fort Scott Community College, however, and earned a shot at Division One football after being named MVP of the Jayhawk Conference in 2001.

Now Whittemore needs someone to look at his talent — rather than his size — once again.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said. “It would mean a lot. It’s kind of what coach (Mark) Mangino did with me. I’m thankful for it. That’s all you can ask for — a chance to prove yourself.”

Whittemore said that, like any college quarterback, he would have to adjust to a more advanced pro playbook, but that he thought he had the ability to play at the next level.

“I definitely have a lot to learn,” he said. “The systems are far more complicated. But as far as getting the ball to a guy, I think I can do it just as good as the next man.”

Size — or lack of it — might be less of an obstacle in the Canadian Football League, and Whittemore said he would consider that option if he doesn’t land a free-agent offer or an invitation to an NFL camp after the draft.

“I’ve had quite a few contacts with people that want me to tryout,” he said of the CFL. “I haven’t done that yet. There’s a few I can go to if nothing happens with the NFL.”

If nothing happens with the CFL, Whittemore might give the Arena League a shot.

Whittemore, who graduated in December with degree in psychology, has other options as well. He’s already started taking graduate courses in sports administration.

Whittemore tutored KU’s backup quarterbacks when he was sidelined for three games and most of a fourth last season with a broken collarbone, and he wouldn’t mind a future on the sideline if he can’t find a job on the field.

“I think coaching is in my future,” he said. “I really loved it.”