Think you know stress? Imagine determining the next four years of your life -- a decision that will influence the rest of your life after those four years -- after just a handful weeks of to think about it.<br />
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And, oh yeah, you're a teenager dealing with the normal stress that comes along with being a high school senior.<br />
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Palms sweaty yet?<br />
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Welcome to reality for several northeast Georgia prep football players as they navigate the wild ups and downs of collegiate football recruiting -- a journey that will end for this year's senior class on Wednesday, as players, coaches and schools make it official for National Signing Day. <br />
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<b>(NOTE: To watch a video feature of the countdown to Signing Day simply click "play" in the box to the right.)</b><br />
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Monumental doesn't even begin to describe what the day will mean for those lucky enough to ink their names to a Letter of Intent. And while the stress involved may cause a few sleepless nights, plenty say it will all be worth it once the big day dawns.<br />
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"It's going to be incredible," Gainesville senior receiver/defensive back Chris Williamson said of Signing Day. "The best thing is that I'm going to get to do it with my brothers. My teammates are like family to me, and it's going to be great to see that we made it together."<br />
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Williamson has learned more than most what a whirlwind the lead-in to Signing Day can be. The senior rocketed from a mid-major prospect to a bona fide Division I future star -- hauling in new offers almost every day, as programs from around the nation competed to earn his signature following an incredible senior season that saw him catch 52 passes for a team-high 1,061 yards and 14 touchdowns.<br />
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"It's been hectic to say the least," said Williamson, who has narrowed his list of schools to Cal, Florida, Michigan and North Carolina -- a choice he will make public on Monday on Fox Sports South. "But it's also been good. I went from not even being sure that I would play football in college to have to choose from a bunch of major schools."<br />
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Even those who have some experience in the recruiting game note that it does not necessarily lessen the intensity of the process -- as Buford's Konnor Houston discovered.<br />
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"It's been very stressful. Stressful doesn't even describe what it is -- because you have these three weeks, and you're missing school each Friday for three weeks," Houston said. "And right now it's the heat of the moment of the semester, so the teachers are hounding you with work, and you have to be very responsible and make up your work So it's very stressful missing school and then, ultimately, making a college decision for the rest of your life, so that's very stressful. You just need to go into your own zone and think and try and not let it get the best of you."<br />
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This from a player who saw his older brother, Kolton go through the same process before signing with Georgia -- where he will play one more season.<br />
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"There's a business side of it, so having seen what (Kolton Houston) went through helped me be familiar with what's going on," Houston said, "and be able to tell who's real to you and who's fake to you -- who's just telling you the recruiting stuff and whatnot."<br />
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Houston is mulling over a number of offers from programs such as South Alabama, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Buffalo and Army (Colorado State has also expressed some recent interest).<br />
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Even for those who wrapped up the recruiting process early, Signing Day will represent an emotional outpouring that will be hard to describe.<br />
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"It's going to be amazing, because you look at all the stuff you've been through and you're like I can't believe this day has come," said Buford's Quay Picou -- who committed to Tennessee before his senior season and will officially become a Volunteer on Wednesday. "It's like turning a dream into a reality. It's a first step into the real world. It's opening up a door, and once you put your signature down on that line that's it; that's where I'm going. It's going to be beyond words. It's going to be awesome feeling. It's going to be better than Thanksgiving."<br />
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There will be plenty of area athletes giving thanks in just a few days time -- and the stress relief will be more than palpable.<br />
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"It's going to be life-changing, to be able to let go and have the monkey off my back and let it all go is going to be a great feeling," Houtson said.
