Alumni | Bandys Football

Adam Scherr Class of 2001

WWE

Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former strongman, best known for his time in WWE as Braun Strowman. Known as "The Monster Among Men," he is a former WWE Universal Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and two-time Raw Tag Team Champion. He is recognized for his immense physical stature, standing 6'8" and weighing over 350 lbs.

Key Details and Career Highlights:
Background: Born in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, Scherr competed as a professional strongman before signing with WWE in 2013.
WWE Debut: He debuted on the main roster in 2015 as part of the Wyatt Family stable before transitioning into a dominant singles competitor.
Championships & Accomplishments:
WWE Universal Champion (1 time)
WWE Intercontinental Champion (1 time)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion (2 times)
Winner of the 2018 Men's Money in the Bank
Winner of the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble
Winner of the 2019 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Chris Douglas Class of 1999

Duke University/New York Giants

Douglas is Duke’s all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, and he was not only dominant on the football field at Bandys but also in track and field.
Douglas’ 3,122 career rushing yards on a record 695 carries and 5,753 all-purpose yards are still Duke football records. His 21 career rushing touchdowns rank fifth best in Duke history.
He was first team All-ACC in 2003, was an All-ACC academic honoree three times also received the Jim Tatum Award as the ACC’s top senior football student-athlete.
Douglas was inducted into the ACC Legends in the 2015 class.
A multi-sport athlete at Bandys, he won a 1999 prep title in the 100-meter hurdles and a national championship in the 400-meter hurdles with the Catawba County Stallions Track Club.
A native of Sherrills Ford, Douglas rushed for 3,276 yards as the Trojans went 26-2 during his varsity career. He was the 1998 Catawba County Male Athlete of the Year and winner of the Coca-Cola Golden Helmet Award for the High School Football Player of the Year.
“Chris Douglas was probably the most impactful football player I coached in my 35 years on the field,” former Bandys head coach Randy Lowman, also a CCSHOF member, said in the press release. “His impact was felt by his teammates, coaches and all of Bandys High School.
“Chris was at the top of his class academically. He was gifted in the arts and a leading member of Bandys’ music program. Athletically, he was in a class of his own.”
Douglas was drafted by the New York Giants before his pro football career was shortened by injury he sustained in an exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

Shane Burton Class of 1992

University of Tennessee/Dolphins-Bears-Jets-Panthers

Franklin Shane Burton (born January 18, 1974) is a former American football defensive tackle who played eight seasons in the NFL (1996–2004) for the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, and Panthers. Drafted in the 5th round (150th overall) in 1996 out of Tennessee, the 6'6", 305-lb defender recorded 18.0 career sacks.

NFL Career Highlights & Bio
Teams: Miami Dolphins (1996–1999), Chicago Bears (1999–2000), New York Jets (2000–2002), Carolina Panthers (2002–2004).
Draft: 1996, Round 5, Pick 150 by the Miami Dolphins.
College: University of Tennessee.
Stats: 8 seasons, 52 solo tackles, 18.0 sacks, 5 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions.
Personal: Born in Logan, WV, and graduated from Bandys High School in Catawba, NC.

Justin Harper Class of 2003

Virginia Tech/Baltimore Ravens

A native of nearby Catawba, N.C., Harper was drafted into the NFL following a standout collegiate career as a Virginia Tech receiver and played professionally from 2008-13, spending the first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

He began his coaching career in 2013 and served on Bob Chesney’s staff as James Madison’s wide receivers coach from 2024-25, helping the Dukes win the 2025 Sun Belt title and amass more than 500 yards of offense in a 51-34 loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff.

Four different JMU wide receivers had more than 25 catches in 2025, contributing to 26 touchdown receptions by the Dukes, who finished 12-2. During the 2024 season, JMU’s receiving corps helped the offense rank in the top 30 nationally in several categories, including fewest interceptions (tied for No. 1 at four), time of possession (23rd at 31:48), scoring offense (26th at 33.3 points) and pass efficiency (30th at 144.60).

Prior to joining JMU’s staff, Harper coached at fellow Sun Belt East Division program Old Dominion (tight ends from 2022-23), Towson (wide receivers/pass game coordinator from 2018-21), Central State (wide receivers in 2017), Virginia State (wide receivers from 2015-16, with a stint as the interim head coach in the 2016 preseason) and Lenoir-Rhyne (wide receivers from 2013-14).

Harper’s time in Norfolk was highlighted by coaching Zack Kuntz, who became a seventh-round pick of the New York Jets in the NFL Draft. At Towson, he helped the Tigers make the 2018 FCS playoffs and coached two-time All-CAA receiver Shane Leatherbury, who had 12 touchdowns in 2019 after making seven TD grabs in 2018. As Virginia State’s interim head coach from January to May in 2016, he signed a recruiting class of 17 players, with three of them becoming all-rookie performers.

Harper’s playing career in the ACC, NFL and CFL was sandwiched between his time as a prep standout at Bandys High School and the beginning of his coaching career in Hickory at Lenoir-Rhyne. He caught 83 passes for 1,338 yards and eight touchdowns as a member of the Hokies, scoring twice in the 2008 Orange Bowl, and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Ravens before finishing his pro career in Canada with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions.

HARPER AT A GLANCE
Coaching Experience
2013-14: Lenoir-Rhyne (Wide receivers)
2015-16: Virginia State (Wide receivers)
2017: Central State (Wide receivers)
2018-21: Towson (Wide receivers/Pass game coordinator)
2022-23: Old Dominion (Tight ends)
2024-25: James Madison (Wide receivers)
2025: Appalachian State WR Coach
Playing Experience
2004-07: Virginia Tech (wide receiver)
2008-11: Baltimore Ravens
2012-13: CFL