In about 72 hours, Ben Brown will fulfill a lifelong dream when he sits at a table in the St. Aloysius High School library and signs a piece of paper indicating he will play football at Ole Miss.

Naturally, he celebrated by spending the past week doing what he loves most — playing football.

Brown, an offensive lineman at St. Al, played in the USA Football North American Championship Game in Orlando, Florida on Saturday night. It’s a competitive all-star game pitting some of the best high school players from Canada and the United States against each other.

“It’s just a great learning experience, and it’s fun playing with highly talented guys,” Brown said before the game. “It’s great competition and that’s always something to look forward to.”

In a best-of-the-best competition, Brown fits right in. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound tackle was a four-year starter for St. Al, and a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools all-star. He received scholarship offers from a half-dozen Division I programs but only needed to hear from one to make his decision.

Ole Miss offered him a scholarship last February, and he accepted soon after. The past year has been spent waiting for this Wednesday, national signing day, when he can finally sign his letter of intent.

“I’m extremely excited. It’s a dream come true. It’s a major blessing,” said Brown, who will be the sixth member of his family to play football at Ole Miss. “Being able to play for those coaches, and that program, where my family played, is a blessing.”

Brown’s father, two uncles, and both grandfathers played for Ole Miss. The latest link in that long chain said the Rebels’ coaches assured him he was more than just a legacy player given a scholarship because of his background.

“The day they offered me, they assured me they weren’t just offering me just because of my family. They liked what I could do as a player and my character. That meant a lot to me,” Brown said.

Despite having a scholarship offer in hand for nearly a full calendar year, Brown has not rested on his laurels. He started every game for St. Al last season and helped two backs rush for more than 900 yards apiece. Saturday’s game in Orlando is his second all-star game since the season ended, and he’s spent the rest of his time working out.

He even took a yoga class to help with his flexibility.

“It wasn’t a pretty sight,” he laughed.

Now the countdown is on to signing day. Unlike some top prospects who announce their selection by picking from an array of hats, Brown said his signing ceremony will be low key.

“There’s no need for all that drama. I don’t think I’d be fooling anyone,” he said.

The only drama will be whether the butterflies in his stomach calm down long enough Tuesday night to rest up for a big day Wednesday. After his ceremony in St. Al’s library in the morning he’ll head to Jackson for a meet and greet later in the day with most of the Ole Miss coaches and 2017 signees.

“I’m sure it will be hard (to sleep). I’m sleeping good in this nice suite in Orlando, but I cannot wait for it,” Brown said. “I haven’t thought about it that much. I’ve thought about having my family around me. My parents, grandparents, friends, teammates, everybody that helped me get here. It’s going to be a great memory.”