[1] After graduating from high school, Santel attended Saint Louis University where he played on the men's soccer team.
In 1992, he began playing for the Colorado Foxes of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and would remain with the team through the 1995 season.
In order to ensure an initial equitable distribution of talent, the league allocated high-profile players to each team.
On December 4, 2000, the Burn traded Santel to the Kansas City Wizards for a third round draft pick.
In 1987, Santel was a member of the United States men's national under-20 soccer team at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.
In 2002, the Lou Fusz Soccer Club of St. Louis hired Santel as its girls' program director.