For two childhood friends, it's a day they'll remember for the rest of their lives. Even before high school, DaQuan Jones and Jordan Thomas joked they'd be playing in the NFL someday. Even though the two attended separate schools, our Rob Wu tells us how they both made an important decision, which brings them a step closer to that dream.

JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. -- He's 6'4'' 300 pounds, but off the football field DaQuan Jones is known as the big teddy bear. He signed his letter of intent to play at Penn State University in front of family and what seemed like the entire school.

"It was hot up there. I was a little nervous. The heat up there, and the light was not good. I thought I'd pass out about five times, but I made it," said Jones.

It's the reward for years of preparation, which included 5:30 a.m. workouts even during the school year. The last hurdle he cleared, his SATs.

"I was at work when the letter came in. They called me at work and told me he was accepted. I just broke down crying honestly. For me I just wanted him to get an education. That was my main thing.Football was always secondary in my household. It's a blessing for me," said his father Steven Jones.

Jordan Thomas is Jones' close-friend and the two were teammates before he moved to a different school. Thomas was an electrifying player at Union-Endicott High School.

"I got a letter in the mail from some school, I don't even remember which and it said they're recruiting me and I said 'what is recruiting', I went to Coach Hurd," said Thomas.

A couple years and about a dozen scholarship offers later, Thomas is heading to Rutgers. In his case, perhaps a mother does know best, it's where she wanted him to go all along.

"The very first time I went to Rutgers University I wanted to sign the papers for him but I couldn't. They take in kids and raise good men and that's what I loved about it," said Tiah Every, Thomas' mother.

It's a memorable day for both players and their families, made even more special because of how tight their bond are.

"Jordan's like a son to me. Very happy for him. I'm gonna' give him a call later and just congratulate him," said Jones' father. .

"I'm over at his house all the time, he's over at my house almost all the time. We enjoy each other's company. That's my big brother, big little brother," Thomas said with a laugh.

With the grueling recruiting process over, the two say they finally have a chance to catch up.

As the final few months of their high school careers approach, Jones and Thomas are focused on staying in shape and finishing strong academically.