Even when all hope appeared to be lost for Missouri State in landing one of the top recruits in southwest Missouri, the Bears didn't stop pursuing him and it officially paid off on Wednesday.
West Plains senior star Connor Lair officially signed his National Letter of Intent and will play football at Missouri State after he initially committed to play in-conference rival Southern Illinois.
"I think, in his heart, he really wanted to stay close to home," Bears head coach Bobby Petrino said Wednesday. "We had to prove it to him and I think how our team performed had something to do with it.