A shifty running back out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Pearman was an invaluable contributor during his four years on Grounds and graduated from the School of Education in 2005. He made an instant impact en route to All-American honors, winning the Bill Dudley Award as the team's Most Outstanding First-year Player in a highlight-filled year that included a game-winning 27-yard hook-and-ladder TD reception against 20th ranked Georgia Tech. Pearman was named first-team All-ACC in 2004 and selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He logged time with the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans over the next five seasons.

Following his playing career, Pearman shifted his focus to education. He earned his Master’s and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, focusing his research on urban schooling and social inequality. Dr. Pearman would go on to work as a professor of Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh, and now serves as an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, spreading his knowledge to the next generation and putting forth award-winning research and publications on the topics of gentrification, poverty, and how inequality shapes the life chances of children in rapidly changing cities. His work has earned him national recognition from the American Educational Research Association, and a fellowship to help launch a center focused on urban redevelopment and educational inequality.