His phone buzzed early in the morning, during classes, at dinner and late into the night. His e-mail inbox was clogged with dozens of messages awaiting his attention. The postman brought pounds of promises, and sometimes it just became too much for Colorado offensive lineman Ryan Miller.

Two years ago during parts of his junior and senior years at Columbine High School, the 6-foot-8, 320-pound tackle was one of the premier talents at his position in the nation. College football coaches from coast to coast recruited him to join their programs.

When all the attention and demands for his time started to overwhelm him, Miller retreated to a space in his parents' home where he could release a little stress banging away on two drum sets. When Miller looks back on recruiting these days, he has plenty of fond memories and stories he will be telling when he is old and gray. But he understands how the process can get the best of kids who aren't prepared, and he offers sage advice.

"Find an exit or a stress reliever, and latch on to it cause it's a ride," Miller said. "I know exactly what they're going through, especially with the phone calls and letters and just everybody tugging at your coattail. Find avice, a good vice. Go out and find something productive and stick with it."

Most high-profile recruits begin to experience the recruiting process early in their high school careers, but it revs up to another level this month with spring practices completed and summer camps just around the corner. Coaches can't have face-to-face contact with recruits right now, but they will have plenty of opportunities to do so in the coming months. Colorado coaches will be trying to fill between 18 and 20 scholarships.

It can be exciting and flattering for the young men involved but it can take its toll as well. Blue-chip prospects must juggle all the routine responsibilities and social activities of other boys their age, while also fielding dozens of e-mails and phone calls each week from coaches doing the recruiting and media members wondering which school they might choose.

For some it becomes too much.

Offensive lineman Bryce Givens already had committed to Nebraska a year ago at this time as his junior year at Mullen High School was winding down. But it was right about this time last year when he received an official scholarship offer from Texas. Plenty of other schools were continuing to call him as well.

Givens handled it all well and was comfortable with his commitment to become a Cornhusker, while keeping his options open to visit other schools in the fall. When the wheels fell off the Nebraska program during the 2007 season and it became clear coach Bill Callahan would be fired, Givens began to question his choice. He chose to examine other schools a little closer and doing so raised his stress level significantly.

Givens said one of the most difficult things he has faced in his young life was the day he knew he had to tell Nebraska wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore he was decommiting.

"You build up these relationships with these coaches and you get to know them so well and you begin to feel like you've known them forever," Givens said. "Then you have to turn around one day and say, 'Hey coach, thanks for everything, but I'm not coming to your school.' "

During December and January, Givens lost more than 20 pounds. At first he and his parents had no explanation. Doctors tested him for Diabetes and Thyroid disease. Eventually they decided the stress of the recruiting process had contributed to the problem. When he decided to come to CU and put recruiting behind him, he began to gain weight and feel better.

Givens is preparing to graduate from Mullen this month and he will begin summer classes at CU next month. He said he enjoyed the ups and downs of the recruiting process for the most part, but he warns recruits being pursued this year to be prepared because things can change in matter of weeks or days.

"Definitely keep an open mind through the whole thing because anything can really happen," Givens said. "Don't get all stressed out and what not. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to."