FAYETTEVILLE - Fayetteville offensive lineman Colby Berna, who is already on board as Arkansas' first football commitment for 2009, can remember just the moment he knew he wanted to be a Razorback.

Berna (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) was born in Fayetteville, but then his family moved to Texas and then on Oklahoma.

The family later moved back to Fayetteville at age 9 and his dad took him to see a Razorbacks football game.

"I can remember the exact moment," Berna said. "We had moved to Oklahoma for awhile and our house got wiped out by a tornado. My parents said we're moving back to Arkansas and I was like 'no, I am a Sooners fan' and started crying.

"But then my first Arkansas game was the Tennessee game where Clint Stoerner hit Anthony Lucas in the back of the end zone (in 1999) and I knew right then and have known ever since then that I wanted to be a Razorback."

Berna, who helped lead Fayetteville to the Class 7A state title last fall, got just that opportunity when new Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and his staff offered him a scholarship in January.

Now that that the 2008 class has been put to bed, the Fayetteville star has committed to be the first 2009 guy on board and will have a ceremony at Fayetteville today at 3 p.m.

"I feel really honored because what they saw in me made them decide to offer me that quickly," Berna said. "It shows they think I can be a great player at Arkansas."

Berna said he got excited Wednesday thinking about his signing date, now less than a year away.

"I was just telling my dad today, I get to sign a year from now," Berna said. "I can start counting down the days."