SC State Board of Trustees Chairman Douglas Gantt (left) joins SC State President
Alexander Conyers in presenting David D. Derby with the award for 2024 Staff Employee
of the Year for the division of athletics.
David D. Erby is the SC State Staff Employee of the Year in the Division of Athletics.
Note: This article is part of a series of profiles of SC State University staff members
who go the extra mile.
David D. ErbyORANGEBURG S.C. - Alumnus David D. Erby has had a distinguished career at South Carolina State University,
where he has been a dedicated member of the Division of Athletics for a decade.
A 2010 SC State graduate, he began his career at his alma mater as the director of
intramural sports in 2014.
He also held the titles of program coordinator, interim director of strength and conditioning,
spirit program coordinator and associate director of strength and conditioning before
his current role as the Bulldogs’ director of strength and conditioning.
Volunteering:
Erby has been a volunteer at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School for the past seven years,
where he serves as the strength and conditioning coach.
Achievements:
During his tenure at SC State, Erby played a crucial role in helping the SC State
Football team to the 2019 MEAC Conference Football Championship while serving as the
interim director of strength and conditioning.
Q: What motivates you to perform your best?
Erby: The students motivate me the most. Without them, there will be no us.
Q: What is something interesting about you that may surprise others?
Erby: I picked up a new hobby (playing the guitar). I always wanted to learn how to
play it. Playing the guitar can be therapeutic for me, it helps me relax and releases
the stresses of the day. I'm a fan of blues and country styles of music. The Thrill
is Gone by B.B. King is my favorite song and I'm still learning how to play it. It's
a classic.
Q: Who has been a big influence on your life and why?
Erby: My parents because I always wanted them to be proud of me and make them happy.
My mother's name is Hayvonia Rainey and my father's name is David Erby. It’s important
to understand the sacrifices they had to make to raise me and my siblings. I honored
them by earning a full scholarship to get my education and play football at SC State
University, being the first (in his family) to graduate from college, and also by
using what they instilled in me as a kid- being respectful and doing things the right
way.
Q: What made you want to take this position at SC State?
Erby: SC State is home for me. I played football and graduated from here. My undergraduate
experience was great. From the lifelong friends I made, the fried chicken Wednesdays,
the great professors, and coaches, the hard work that was put in for classes and football,
and winning championships, I wouldn't change anything about it.
I was a pretty decent football player. I was three-time 1st-team all-conference and two-time all-American and I won the MEAC Conference Defensive
Player of the Year my senior year 2010. Big thanks to coach Buddy Pough for giving
me an opportunity.
Q: What has been your most memorable moment at SC State and why?
Erby: Being selected into the SC State Athletic Hall of Fame and winning championships are my most memorable moments. I was a part of three championships (2008-2010).
Q: How has the university evolved since you've been here?
Erby: President Conyers and the board of trustees have done a great job of enhancing
the university academically and with the new projects that are in place.
Q: Do you have a motto and why?
Erby: My motto is a Bob Marley quote, "You never know how strong you are until being
strong is your only choice.” Sometimes, people don't understand how strong they are
mentally and physically until it's the only option.
