“Every time he had a holiday, he gave that up. He would be working out and preparing himself,” said Harold Perkins‘s uncle while explaining how much Perkins is dedicated to his goal and what he has sacrificed to meet that goal. That’s why he is currently enjoying his success as the starting linebacker for the LSU Tigers.

Harold respects his family and always credits them for his success. Apart from his uncle, Perkins has a large family, and whenever they attend his games, there are not just two or three people there but a whole bunch of people roaring for him. To better understand Perkins’ life, we must first learn about his early years when his family relocated to Houston.

Inspiring early days of Harold Perkin’s life

He has not been seen talking about his father much, and information available on him is scant. However, his mom has been very close to him, and Harold takes inspiration from his mom’s life. First, look at his mom’s early life before jumping to the current scenario. Harold’s grandfather was a marine and taught his daughter Bertha and son Alvin to be rough. Perkins’ uncle Alvin has been a cop in New Orleans, someone who takes pride in looking at Harold’s success.

Bertha, his mom, is integral to his story — it wouldn’t feel complete without her. To make her children’s every wish come true, Bertha used to work 16-hour-long shifts as a nursing assistant. When Harold was just 7, he would cook meals for his mom when she came home after tired days. It shows how sensitive he has been since a very tender age. And when Hurricane Katrina hit, Harold’s mom took them to Houston. After living with his mom and siblings briefly, Harold’s older brothers promptly returned to stay with their grandparents. Harold became a little more serious about life because he had to take care of his elder sister, who had a history of seizures.

Despite the rollercoaster of emotions, Harold’s family stays intact, and they never forget to attend his games, being a group of at least 10. However, there was this one time when Bertha could not visit him on his game day because she had been in a massive car accident and was badly injured. Being worried about his mom, it must have been the hardest game day of Harold’s life. On top of that, Harold himself wasn’t feeling well and threw up a few hours before the game. But it didn’t affect his performance, and it turned out to be one of his best games yet. He made six tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. 

Harold’s school and college career

While Harold Perkins was enrolled at Cypress Park High School, he was a versatile player, excelling both as a linebacker and running back. He did an amazing job, scoring 99 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his senior year. After completing high school, he was recognized as first-team all-Greater Houston honors. On top of that, he was named the top linebacker in Texas. We all know that after visiting many colleges, he finally chose to be at LSU because he felt at home there.

Harold Perkins had a fantastic freshman year at LSU with 72 tackles and 7.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. By looking at his dashing game, he got rewarded as SEC defensive player of the week not only once but twice. With time, his game got more rounded, which led him to be awarded the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Butkus Award. Because of his superb skills, he is one of the top linebackers in college football. Looking at his speed, agility, and determination, analysts are praising him and counting him as a top contender for the next NFL draft.