Santiago was selected by the
Atlanta Falcons in the third round (70th overall) of the
1997 NFL draft. He also was selected by the
Edmonton Eskimos in the fifth round (40th overall) of the
1997 CFL draft. As a rookie, the team was moving from a
run and shoot to a traditional offense and he earned the starter job over
Brian Kozlowski. He was placed on the
injured reserve list, after fracturing his fibula in the twelfth game of the season against the
St. Louis Rams. He started 11 games, totaling 17 receptions for 217 yards and 2
touchdowns, for an average of 12.8 yards per catch. In 1998, Santiago contributed to the team reaching
Super Bowl XXXIII, posting 27 receptions for 478 yards and 5
touchdowns in 16 games, for an average of 15.9 yards per catch. He is famously known for popularizing a dance to celebrate a touchdown in which he flapped his arms as if they were wings and rhythmically bouncing side-to-side in the crowd's direction, that would later become known as the "Dirty Bird". In 1999, he started 14 games, catching 15 receptions for 174 yards and no
touchdowns. In 2000, he was passed on the depth chart by
Reggie Kelly. On August 27, he was traded to the
Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2001 fourth round selection (#102-
Matt Stewart) and a 2002 seventh round selection (#217-Michael Coleman). In 2000, the Cowboys acquired him to backup
David LaFleur and
Jackie Harris. He played mainly on
special teams, until being cut on November 21. On November 22, he was claimed off waivers by the
Cleveland Browns and was declared inactive for the final 4 games. In 2001, he started 12 games after
Rickey Dudley was placed on the
injured reserve list with a Lis Franc foot injury. His production fell to 17 receptions for 153 yards and 2
touchdowns and he wasn't re-signed after the season. On July 15, 2002, he was signed as a
free agent by the
Minnesota Vikings, but injured his foot and knee in
training camp and was waived injured on August 27. On March 8, 2003, he signed with the
Oakland Raiders, where he played in 12 games (starts), with 5 receptions for 69 receiving yards, and averaging 13.8 yards per catch. Having already totaled 972 yards before joining the Raiders, he was able to reach the 1,000 yard milestone during his short tenure with the Northern
California team. On April 15, 2004, Santiago was signed by the
Denver Broncos who released him at the end of
training camp on August 31. On May 23, 2006, Santiago signed with the
Oakland Raiders after not suiting up for the 2005 season, but was waived with an injury settlement on September 9. On December 13, he signed with the
New England Patriots, who released him 2 days later after injuring his foot. On August 7, 2007, the
Oakland Raiders signed Santiago as a
free agent. He was released before the season began on September 1. In his career in the
NFL, he played in 68 games, gaining a total of 1,041 yards for an average of 12.9 yards per catch and 9 touchdowns. On May 14, 2010, after being 3 years out of football, he was signed as a
free agent by the
Montreal Alouettes of the
Canadian Football League, reuniting with
Marc Trestman, who was his offensive coordinator with the
Oakland Raiders. He was limited with a hamstring injury and was released on August 28. ==Personal life==