COLUMBIA, MO. • His long walk around the court served its purpose. The Missouri basketball fans gathered to watch the Tigers play Texas Tech forgot about the tipoff of Saturday's game. They instead had turned their attention to Dorial Green-Beckham, the high school wide receiver who could become the biggest recruit in Missouri football history.
Led by Missouri receivers coach Andy Hill, Green-Beckham and his family entered Mizzou Arena through the concrete tunnel farthest from their row of reserved seats. Applause erupted as Green-Beckham, who is 6 feet 6 and 220 pounds, appeared. And it followed him as he slapped hands and pounded fists during the trip to his seat, positioned just behind the Missouri bench.
The young man is said to be uncomfortable around such attention. But his smile and the waves made it seem like he was enjoying this welcome, an exaggerated display from another legion of college fans desperately attempting to persuade him to pick their school.
It's an event Green-Beckham has experienced many times, an event that soon will be over. Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, Green-Beckham will be the headliner of national signing day. His signature on his letter of intent will finalize his college decision.
ESPNU will televise the news across the nation and the most recruited player in the country will be recruited no more.
The process has been building since Green-Beckham, as a freshman, took his first high school varsity catch 68 yards for a touchdown. Since then, scholarship offers piled up as quickly as the Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Mo., wide receiver's touchdowns.
Before his senior season, every school that thought it had a chance of signing him made its pitch. This year, Rivals named him the No. 1 college football prospect in the nation, and Green-Beckham showed why he was worthy. He caught 119 passes for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns. He raked in national player of the year awards and claimed the national record in career receiving yards (6,356 yards). In the realm of high school football, he has nothing left to prove. Deciding what comes next, however, has not been simple.
After his senior season ended, Green-Beckham narrowed his list of college choices to five. Those dropped schools stopped recruiting him. The few fortunate ones (Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas) strengthened their approach. As national signing day neared, the chaos continued to build. The weekend of Jan. 20, Green-Beckham took his final visit to Arkansas. A photo of him in an Arkansas jersey, along with other Arkansas recruits, spread like fire over the Internet.
After returning to Springfield, Green-Beckham received visits from Texas coach Mack Brown and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Missouri and Arkansas coaches also made one last visit.
THREE DAYS AT MU
His final college visit came this weekend, and the three days in Columbia offered a glimpse into what one Missouri official said was the most intense recruitment the team has ever conducted.
Green-Beckham stepped out of his family's black van on Friday shortly after 4:30 p.m. An estimated crowd of 80 Missouri fans, mostly students but some adults, greeted him with shouts "Welcome home!" and "True son!" There were banners and signs, one of which featured a tiger with an image of Green-Beckham's head attached.
Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost greeted him and led him through the black and gold balloons lining the lobby of the Missouri Athletic Training Complex. At some point over the trip, Green-Beckham met with some members of Missouri's offense and also got to discuss the team's spread attack. He had already toured the campus during a previous visit. During the evenings, Green-Beckham spent time with Missouri receiver T.J. Moe and defensive back Kip Edwards — the players who housed him.
THE BIG WELCOME
Then came Saturday's game.
A sold-out crowd took advantage of the game's first timeout, modifying Missouri's usual "MIZ-ZOU" chant to "MIZ-DGB." During another break in play, the Missouri football team was honored at the center of the court. Special attention centered on Missouri quarterback James Franklin, the Independence Bowl MVP and the player who would be instrumental to Green-Beckham's success if he becomes a Tiger.
As the final minutes of Missouri's eventual 63-50 win over Texas Tech ticked away, Green-Beckham and his family stood and started their exit. The star receiver would soon make his way through another concrete tunnel, presumably not to be heard from again until Wednesday's announcement.
But before he disappeared beneath the rows of fans chanting his initials, he paused. Applause heightened. Cameras flashed.
The center of attention smiled and waved, enjoying the attention for just one moment more.
