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Alex Stafford attended his first summer tennis camp at Southern Methodist University when he was a little kid. Although he lived nearly 1,400 miles away, Stafford had a good reason to make the trip. His older brother, James, attended SMU.

Alex Stafford Visiting His Older Brother at SMU Years Ago
© Contributed Photo

Stafford will be back on the courts on a more regular basis next year. The four-star senior from Rancho Santa Fe, California has committed to the Mustangs.

"It’s always kind of been like a second home for me,” Stafford said. “I have always kind of grown up and been on campus there a million times. I had a couple other offers that were really good schools that I would have been really happy at, but SMU has just always been my No. 1.”

Stafford’s family was thrilled about his decision to attend a familiar school. James, 27, graduated from SMU in 2015.

"His brother had a great experience there and developed a great network of friends and had a great time,” Stafford’s father, Jeffrey, said. “As parents, that was reassuring for us. He had two great offers and choices for college, but SMU fit so well from our past experience."