By: Joey Mullins

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Today, we continue our 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 playing careers. In this month's edition, we highlight Andy Summerlin, who played quarterback for the Samford football team in 2012 and 2013.
 
Summerlin grew up in Apopka, Fla., and was a standout quarterback at Apopka High School. He started his college career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. In his one season at Coffeyville, Summerlin set a school record for passing yards with 2,302 yards through the air. He also led the team to a No. 12 national ranking.
 
He then went to the University of Memphis, but he missed the 2010 season with a shoulder injury. He was able to play in 2011, seeing action in five games, including two starts, but battling injuries again. He passed for 469 yards during the 2011 campaign. At the end of the 2011 season, Summerlin decided to look for somewhere else to finish his football and academic career.
 
Summerlin eventually decided to transfer to Samford. He talked about the factors that contributed to him choosing to come to Samford.
 
"Samford's a special place, it's a great community," Summerlin said. "It just felt like a place where I was accepted and could grow athletically, but also personally. Also, Coach (Pat) Sullivan (former head coach) was just a special person. He was someone I had a lot of respect for and appreciated our conversations prior to my deciding to transfer to Samford. Not just his knowledge, but his character more than anything. I just think it's a special place. Coach (Travis) Trickett (former Offensive Coordinator) was a great coach for me. The community, the team and Coach Sullivan will always hold a special place in my heart."
 
In Summerlin's first season as a Bulldog in 2012, he passed for 2,269 and 10 touchdowns. The 2012 season could have been Summerlin's last year of college football, but Samford appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility due to medical hardship. The appeal was approved, allowing Summerlin to play in the 2013 season. Summerlin said he was not surprised but was relieved once the ruling finally came in from the NCAA.
 
"I kind of always expected it since I had had so many injuries that I had a very good case for that sixth year," Summerlin said. "But once it finally got approval, it was kind of a weight lifted. I appreciated the athletics staff, with Martin (Newton) and all they did. I know Michelle Durban met a lot on my behalf. It was really nice to get that approval and it was great to get that sixth year. Football is special, getting to be around the team and in the locker room, so being able to do it another year and having the success we did, was just special."
 
Summerlin turned in several impressive performances during the 2013 season. He led the team to a 31-21 win over FBS Georgia State in the season opener. He later set the school record for single game passing yards twice. He set the record first with 478 yards in a hard-fought 34-31 loss to Southeastern Louisiana. He then eclipsed his own record, just two weeks later, passing for 495 yards in a 44-34 win over 16^th-ranked Georgia Southern.
 
The Bulldogs went into the last two weeks of the season needing to claim home wins over Chattanooga and Elon to win a share of the Southern Conference title. Samford earned a 17-14 overtime win over 17^th-ranked Chattanooga, and then had to come from behind to pick up a 33-32 win over Elon, with Summerlin hitting Chris Cephus for a 12-yard touchdown with seven seconds left to earn the win and give the Bulldogs a share of their first SoCon championship.
 
"I'll always be thankful for that, but we sure didn't make it easy on ourselves," Summerlin said with a laugh. "There were games along the way, especially with my play, like going into Furman and playing a bad game. But that team trained really hard to become champions at some point, and so when we faced adversity, with Coach (Ryan) Davis (former strength and conditioning coach) and Coach Sullivan, that was what we trained for in the offseason, to not give up, not stop pushing forward, and it came down to the wire. We made it very, very interesting, probably more interesting than we should have. We had special guys on that team that battled and never flinched. They were nail-biters that probably gave my parents and other parents some gray hairs, but it was fun to have it play out the way it did."
 
At the conclusion of the regular season, the Southern Conference media named Summerlin as its Offensive Player of the Year. The Bulldogs earned the program's first bid to the NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs since 1992. Summerlin finished with 3,460 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.
 
Summerlin finished his football career with a strong season, and he said battling through so many injuries made the success of his final season even more satisfying.
 
"I think adversity makes everything sweeter," Summerlin said. "I'll never forget the pass against Elon at the end to win conference. Being able to have a moment with my family after the game was great. It was the culmination of a lot of challenges that ultimately felt worth it in that moment, knowing you're a champion and ending on such an incredible play. It made it incredibly sweet. That will always be something I cherish, and I appreciate all of those along the way that helped me overcome adversity."
 
Since leaving Samford, Summerlin has worked in finance. He is currently working in strategy and finance at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation in Seattle, Washington. They are currently working on technology called micro-modular reactors. The goal is to make nuclear energy safer, more accessible and scalable. Summerlin is currently engaged, and he said he and his fiancé, Haley are enjoying living out west, in fact he is trying to talk more family members into moving closer to them.
 
"My parents are now retired, we're trying to get them out west where I've spent the majority of my post-Samford time," Summerlin said. "I got engaged in December, and we're really enjoying Seattle so far. This is the first time now in my adult life that I am planning on being in one place for an extended period. I look to advance in my career, and it's exciting to be here and the west has treated me well."
 
When asked what he took away most from his time at Samford, Summerlin talked about the examples he saw of servant leadership that have inspired him to take on that role in his own life.
 
"Servant leadership is something I got to witness first-hand with Coach Sullivan," Summerlin said. "That will always be something that I believe in, and I want to emulate in whatever role or capacity that I'm in. I just have an appreciation for people and team and hard work. Coach Sullivan's servant leadership is something that gave me hope. It gave me something to aspire to, so that would be the biggest thing that I take away."
 
For more information on the S-Club and for giving opportunities, please contact E.J. Brophy at wbrophy@samford.edu.