By: Joey Mullins
 
Today, we begin a new series named the S-Club Profile, focusing on former student-athletes and giving updates on what they have been up to since finishing their Samford careers. In today's first edition, we will highlight Pearlie Harris, who was a member of the Samford football team from 1993 to 1996, playing in the 1993, 1994 and 1996 seasons.
 
Harris graduated from Samford in the Spring of 1997, with a degree in Sociology. He said the academic reputation was a big factor in him choosing to come to Samford.
 
"One of the main keys was the reputation for academic excellence," Harris said. "Back in the day, Samford was referred to as, 'The Harvard of the South.' My family and I thought about that quality education I would receive, opposed to some of the other schools that were interested in me.  When touring the facilities and the campus, in addition to meeting with the faculty and staff, I could just sense this would be a different educational experience for me.  That is what really separated Samford from everyone else."
 
 
Harris played under two different head coaches at Samford, coming in under Chan Gailey, and finishing his career playing for Pete Hurt. Looking back at his time at Samford, Harris said he learned a lot from both the university and the football program.
 
"For me, it was a great learning experience," Harris said. "If I were to wrap up my Samford experience, I would say Samford taught me the rewards of discipline and persistence, how to overcome adversity, and the dynamics of teamwork through working collectively to accomplish a goal."
 
When Harris was looking for employment opportunities during his final year on campus, he said he found some help on campus when deciding which way to go.
 
"Before I graduated from Samford, I utilized the Career Development Center," Harris said. "Through them, I was able to secure a job at State Farm Insurance Companies, and I will be celebrating 23 years with the organization this December." 
 
Harris began at State Farm in 1997 in the position of Claim Representative.  He was later promoted to a Team Leader position and currently holds the position of Claims Manager.  
 
When asked about what his day-to-day duties entail now, Harris said, "I lead a group of employees who adjust homeowners' claims and help our customers to recover from their unexpected losses throughout the country". 
 
Harris has obtained Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in General Insurance (AINS) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) insurance designations and attributes his professional development in having a strong faith-based foundation and a mindset of continuous learning.    
 
Harris has been married to his wife, LaShawnda, for 16 years, and the couple has an 11-year-old son, Christian, who aspires to be a Samford Bulldog one day.  He also coaches three youth sports teams, including two basketball teams and one flag football squad.
 
In recent years, Harris has become involved in both Samford's Bulldog Club and S-Club. The S-Club is the official letterwinner's club for former student-athletes and former Bulldogs are automatically inducted into upon graduation. Harris serves as an S-Club board member and he says he has enjoyed getting back involved with Samford Athletics.
 
"I actively sought out opportunities to give back to the programs that have given so much to me, which got me off to a quality start in life," Harris said. "My pursuit of becoming more involved led to meeting Hal (Langston), Martin (Newton) and Maggie (Rountree), and developing relationships with several others within the Samford Athletics team.  It is my belief that through consistency, support and a demonstrated commitment towards the advancement of Samford Athletics, led to my opportunity of becoming one of the members of the S-Club Board."
 
Harris said being involved in the S-Club and Bulldog Club has also allowed him the opportunity to rekindle relationships with former teammates and classmates from his time as a student at Samford. 
 
"The blessing about the Bulldog Club and the S-Club opportunities is that they not only provide support for the Athletic Program, but they are conduits for building and rekindling of relationships," Harris said. "Sports events, meeting engagements and communications, such as this, provide an in-depth look at what's going on with current and former Bulldogs."
 
Obviously, a lot has changed since Harris' playing days. He talked about the biggest changes he has seen through the last 23 years.
 
"When I come back on campus, I see all the building projects and the changes that are taking place with the facilities, and the phrase that comes to mind is top-notch," Harris said. "The leadership that we have is setting forth a first-class environment for all Samford athletes currently here and those to come. Samford is setting up an environment that gives every athlete the opportunity to be successful. The personal accountability will always be up to the individual athlete, but there is an overall feeling of a first-class atmosphere. It's always good to see construction happening on campus because it is symbolic of growth."
 
For more information on the S-Club, contact Hal Langston at hlangst1@samford.edu. For giving opportunities, please contact Maggie Rountree at mrountr1@samford.edu.