STILLWATER — Justin Bales pulled his car out of a parking lot on the Oklahoma State campus last April with his nephew in the passenger seat.
They had just toured the OSU campus and football facilities, and were leaving for their next stop at the University of Arkansas when Bales glanced over at his nephew, Norco, California, star quarterback Shane Illingworth.
“Shane looked at me with these eyes,” Bales said, pausing as he searched for words to describe Illingworth’s emotions. “Like he was in shock.”
Finally, Illingworth spoke.
“‘I love this place,” he said in a tone that told Bales his nephew’s recruitment was finished.