Thanks to the mother of five-star running back recruit Alex Collins, we may already have a winner for the craziest story of national signing day.
Collins played at South Plantation High School in Florida where he became one of the top running backs in the country. His first scholarship offer came from Miami, to whom he verbally committed in January 2012. Collins broke his commitment to the Canes in November, though he still considered them an option.
On Monday, Collins announced that he would attend Arkansas. His announcement upset his mother, who wanted him to stay closer to home.
Collins, his mother, and two siblings went to the high school Wednesday where the back was supposed to have his signing ceremony. Only there was one problem: Collins’ mother reportedly refused to let her son sign with Arkansas, took his papers, and ran away with them. Athletes under 21 need a parent or guardian’s signature to make their letter of intent official.
“She said she didn’t want to sign,” Collins’ older brother Johnny, told The Miami Herald. “I know she preferred him to go to UM. Alex had said he was going to the U, and then all of a sudden he changes his mind. We found out he was going to Arkansas on TV.”
If you thought the story ended there, you would be wrong. According to The Herald, Collins’ mother was so upset after her son announced Monday he had picked Arkansas, she went to the school the next day to angrily complain to the coaches and administrators about the situation.
This woman is passionate about the issue, huh?
Collins reportedly said he switched to Arkansas because he liked the way new coach Bret Beilema, who was hired in December, runs the ball. NBC Miami says Collins is expected to sign with Arkansas on Thursday.
As funny as this story is, it is not all that unusual. Remember this story from last year?
Below is video of Collins’ announcement on FOX Sports South Monday (around the 5:40 mark):
Photo via Scout.com
