National Signing Day: Why Oakland's De'Arre McDonald signed with Cincinnati

Members of the Tennessean's Dandy Dozen were asked to say why they chose their respective schools on National Signing Day. Oakland defensive back De'Arre McDonald, No. 5 on the Dandy Dozen list, says in his own words why he chose to sign with the University of Cincinnati Wednesday.

I signed because it was a great, family-oriented school. All the guys on the team were really helpful and telling me to make the right decision for myself...for me and not anybody else.

That's what kind of pushed me toward all the guys. It was real brotherly and a family thing. I liked it all. I loved it. That's why I made my decision.

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They were just keeping it real. It wasn't any false statements or false claims in anything they told me. It was them keeping it real and telling the truth. That's what pushed me forward with signing.

You got to just stay focused on the bigger picture. You got to play football and do what you got to do. At the end of the day all that other stuff is going to play its part.

Cincinnati was the first school to offer me. I really didn't pay attention to it. I was just worried about football and not worried about anything last-minute. But they stuck with me, and I appreciate that.