What began as just a visit for a spring practice turned out to be much more than that for Akron Firestone's Tommy Brown.

"Basically, I was just sitting in the lounge," Brown explained. "Coach Bowman came and got me took me to Coach Tressel's office. He took over from there and told me I was offered. Then I told them basically I'm coming and be prepared."

The experience was shared by Brown's parents, who were emotional about their son's big day.

"It feels good to be committed. It's been a long road, but I made it. My mom and my dad were with me. They weren't surprised at all. I've been talking about committing for forever. My mom was teary eyed."

Brown says the Buckeyes told him offensive line, and he expects to begin as a tackle. Either way, the coaches made it clear that they like him for more than just his size.

"Of course, they said I have great athleticism, but anyone can have athleticism. They said I have great work ethic too, a great personality and I'm an all around great person.”