Next Wednesday is a borderline national holiday for college football fans like myself.

The second Wednesday in February is annually National Signing Day for high school athletes and namely football players.

This year it is a little different though as they implemented an early signing period in December. Many of the big fish are already off the board, but as a Florida State fan, Wednesday will still be a big day.

The Seminoles went through a coaching change in December (some guy decided 10 years, $75 million made College Station, Texas appealing) and the previous staff had pretty much stopped recruiting. The new staff has been working to repair the damage and piecemeal the class back together.

I am excited to see who this newest crop of ‘Noles will be and learn their names and start rooting for them on the field.

I worked for a website that covered recruiting while in college so it is something I follow some and it is always an exciting day.

The real excitement is not for the fans though.

For so many athletes around the country, and not just football players, Wednesday will be a life-changing day.

After years of hard work and thousands of hours honing their craft it finally pays off. With pen and paper they make the fact that they are a college worthy athlete official.

I have attended some signing ceremonies in the past and it is always great to see the pure joy and excitement on the faces of the athletes and their families, even if they are going to a small DIII school you’ve never heard of. They worked, they grinded and they earned it.

In Warren County, athletes will be signing their letters of intent Wednesday and I can’t wait to see where they are going and the pictures of their excitement.

For some it will be a junior college and the hopes of making it big. For others, they are going to be attending a four-year school and hopefully loving every minute of it.

No matter the level, the jump from high school athlete to college athlete is extreme. You have to balance coursework, practice and games with adapting to college life, living away from home and fighting the temptations that come with college.   

They may not be signing live on ESPN like some major college football recruits, but it is a huge moment to say that you have performed well enough and worked hard enough that a college recognized you and asked that you join the program.

So good luck, seize the day and enjoy this “holiday.”

Brandon O’Connor is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach him at brandon.oconnor@vicksburgpost.com.