Norman High whipped Yukon 44-17 back on Oct. 6. Mossis Madu ran for 272 yards on just 15 carries, a school-record six of them for touchdowns. Only that’s not the story.

Three weeks later, it was a 35-10 win at Choctaw. Madu ran for 125 yards on 22 carries. But that’s not the story.

Two weeks later, in the first round of the playoffs, Mustang visited Harve Collins Field. Madu ran for 169 yards on 26 carries but the Tigers went down to a bunch of Broncos that would play for the state title. But that’s not the story.

The story came before. Over the summer. When everything changed for Madu. The time he took a good look at himself, realized what he could become and went about becoming it.

“We saw film on Rivals(.com) of all the top players. We watched film and everybody told Mossis he could do that,” NHS quarterback Press Taylor remembers. “We knew it and he knew it and he just started working out in the summer. He knew he needed to be a leader and work hard in the weight room. He did all that and it showed up on the field.”

Sometimes it showed up on a 5-yard carry. Sometimes it showed up on a cross-country gallop. Sometimes it even showed up on a 1-yard loss.

Understand this about Madu:

He had a great senior season. He ran for 1,513 yards and caught for another 242. He scored 27 touchdowns and led Class 6A in scoring. And if it was all about the numbers, those are fine numbers. But watching him run is so much more satisfying than reading about it or hearing the numbers. Because others ran for bigger numbers. But nobody ran as well.

That’s why Oklahoma offered the hometown kid a scholarship at midseason.

That’s why Madu made it official in front of coaches and teammates at 3 p.m. Wednesday at NHS, finally signing his national letter of intent to play football for the Sooners.

And that’s why, even on a day OU signed DeMarco Murray, the No. 1 running back in the nation according to ESPN.com and Gerald McCoy, the No. 1 defensive recruit in the nation according to USAToday, Sooner running backs coach Cale Gundy still said this about Madu:

“I think, when it’s all said and done, he’s going to be one of the best two or three players in this class.”

Of course, it’s not like the recruiting gurus were ever laughing at the Tiger. Scout.com ranks him the No. 14 running back in the nation, Rivals.com ranks him the No. 45 “athlete” in the nation and SuperPrep ranks him the No. 11 “skilled athlete” in the nation. Not that Madu cares about any of that stuff.

“When it really comes down to it, it’s not about where you were ranked in high school. It’s not about whether you were a three-star, four-star or five-star, it’s about what you’re going to do when you get to that level,” he said. “And I know I’m going to work my butt off to be the best player I can be.”

And there’s no telling what that might mean.