Ronnie Scott was about to put his pen to the paper when there was a yelp from the other room.
His mother rushed into the room, a camera and tripod in tow. Mara Scott had not missed a single moment of his football career and she wasn’t about to start now.
“That’s my mama,” Ronnie Scott said, setting off a round of laughter. “This is nothing new.”
Scott was one of four players at Chamberlain to sign letters of intent with college football programs Wednesday. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound senior defensive back is headed to Florida Atlantic.
Joining him at the celebration were teammates Xavier Johnson, a 5-9, 170-pound running back who is going to South Alabama, and defensive end Marcus Stewart and defensive back William Hudson, who will both attend Louisburg College in North Carolina.
They were all standouts for the resurgent Chiefs, who finished 4-6 and narrowly missed the playoffs in 2012 after winning a total of six games in the three previous seasons.
Chamberlain first-year coach D.J. Mayo was particularly effusive in his praise of Scott, who battled injuries all year and moved to safety from his natural position of cornerback to help the team.
Scott actually contributed all over the field: he finished his senior year with five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns; rushing for 142 yards and another two scores; and he even throwing for 144 yards and two more touchdowns.
“He’s big time,” Mayo said. “Believe me, before he’s done, he will be an all-conference player in college.”
Scott’s mother plans to get down to Boca Raton as much as possible to document the rest of his career, much as she’s done since he started playing organized football for the North Tampa Rams as a child.
Mara Scott said she’s got tape of every game her son has ever played. She was hoping to get more video footage Wednesday, but left a couple of items in the car on her way to the ceremony. That caused her to run a few minutes late.
She displayed admirable catch-up speed - much like Ronnie – in getting her camera and tripod set up to capture her son signing the national letter of intent.
"No way I was going to miss this,” she said.