FAYETTEVILLE — After Charlotte Burse visited Arkansas over the weekend with her grandson, Lawton, Okla. offensive lineman Jalin Barnett, she was reminded of what one of the more famous Arkansans said about the state.
“When Bill Clinton was our president and he talked so much about Arkansas and the love and the family,” Burse said. “You don’t know until you come here and now I understand. Arkansas people are like they’re from a whole different planet, because I have to go back to that other way and I don’t know what I’m going back to. Some people need to recognize and if they don’t, they need to come here and come over here and see this love. The people are just awesome.”
The trip to Fayetteville is one of Barnett’s first of four or five official visits. He has plans to take trips to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Oregon State. The Razorback coaching staff gave Burse positive vibes.
“They were for real as real for real, they weren’t faking it,” Burse said. “It’s just like when you’re going home to your family for Thanksgiving or Christmas and everybody… you can just see it in their face. I felt it in their heart.”
Barnett, 6-4, 305 pounds has more than 50 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Auburn, Stanford and Tennessee. He’s rated the No. 1 offensive guard and the nation's No. 43 overall prospect.
He lists Arkansas and Oklahoma as his top schools. Burse said people pushing Barnett towards Norman doesn't help.
"It would benefit others for him to go to Oklahoma, but they aren't thinking about this child,” Burse said. “That is not a factor. I don't care how hard some try to push.”
The constant pressure sometimes works against the Sooners.
“You have to think how long people have been at this,” she said. “The question is 'Where you going to school?, Where you going to school?' Everybody wants an answer. I’m granny….so I say they want an answer? It was in the Lawton paper. You know what that answer was? He won't be going to Lawton High next year…..boom.”
She said her grandson has to do what’s best for himself.
“Jalin has got to be happy because he has got to do the work,” Burse said. “I'm just here to make sure I'm turning my baby over to the right people. It’s not benefitting me at all either he goes.”
Barnett has been playing football since the seventh grade and has been in love with the game since.
"He loves the weight room,” Burse said. “He lives and breathes football. He was born to be a football player. He's just a natural football player.”
Burse is surprised by Barnett’s development into one of the top recruits in he nation.
"He was just big and fluffy to me,” she said. “They go out there and do the football, but I didn't know when you push somebody what they could become.The thing with my grandson, he doesn’t have anybody if something happened to Granny. I always tell Jalin to get what you want, you must do what you've never done.”
She and her grandson visited Coach Bret Bielema’s home on Friday.
“He was awesome,” Burse said. “We went to his house and ate. That man didn’t have to welcome me to his home. That’s awesome when you know and trust. That’s what I mean about family.”
Bielema stressed to Barnett the importance of getting an education.
“He talked about his mistakes, he told about how it took him longer to finish college, but he did do it,” Nurse said. “That’s the same thing he was telling Jalin.”
Burse was impressed by the number of offensive linemen Bielema has sent to the NFL.
“I was so impressed when the man told me he had put so many people into the NFL,” Burse said. “That’s awesome that he put joy into those people’s lives. We just clicked. The only thing that’s hurting is my jaws from laughing.”
The weekend visit was a big success.
“I couldn’t ask for more,” she said. “I’ve traveled and have been to OU and OSU and I admit what the team here did, they took the time out which some people don’t give you. They educated him a lot more and I just look at Jalin as my grand baby. I don’t see him like everybody else does.”
“Everywhere else I went I haven’t been farther than the football field, watching them practice, but that was just on unofficial visits. I don’t know what their plans will be.”
Burse praised everyone involved in making sure their visit went well.
“I just feel like I picked up a whole new family,” she said. “I’m going to stay in contact with them.”
She approves of Arkansas’ recruitment of her grandson.
“That’s my pride and joy, I’m just not going to give him to anybody,” Burse said. “I know the recruiting thing. They know what they’re doing and it’s not all about getting him. They’re letting me know if he comes how he would be loved and treated.”