Photo by Tosha Gaines.
Eric Kerley, Berry Buc alum and Hoover Athletics Hall of Famer, is the owner of The Studio Specialized Personal Training. With three locations, The Studio Specialized Personal Training offers one-on-one personal training, group classes and massage therapy.
Eric Kerley’s name is etched in Hoover football history. A Berry Buc standout under hall of fame coach Bob Finley, he was the last Buc to sign with an SEC program before the school transitioned into Hoover High. He is now a member of the Hoover Athletics Hall of Fame, honored for a career that helped close one era and usher in another.
Kerley still thinks often of Finley — the man whose sudden death in July 1994, just weeks before Hoover High opened, left a legacy that still defines what Hoover athletics aspire to be.
“Coach Finley was old school,” Kerley said. “He taught us how to be men, not just players.”
From Berry, Kerley went on to the University of Alabama, where he played for Gene Stallings and Mike DuBose and was a solid presence on the Tide defensive line from 1994 to 1997. After college, he spent a brief period in professional football. The experience didn’t last long, but it provided him the seed money to pursue a new dream.
“I took a step out on faith, put what little money I made playing pro into the business, and went for it,” he said.
That business became The Studio Specialized Personal Training, which has now operated for 24 years with three locations in Birmingham. Kerley said the lessons of football — discipline, toughness and goal-setting — are the same ones he emphasizes with clients.
“Our goal is to help people live healthier, happier, longer lives,” he said. “We meet people where they are and help them get to where they want to be.”
Our goal is to help people live healthier, happier, longer lives. We meet people where they are and help them get to where they want to be.
ERIC KERLEY
The Studio offers one-on-one personal training, group classes and massage therapy, all designed to fit busy lives. Trainers work with clients on weight loss, stamina, diet and overall health. Sessions take place in a bright, well-equipped space with modern tools including free weights, suspension training and agility ladders.
Kerley said many of the people who walk through his doors remind him of teammates and coaches who pushed him to succeed.
“College football is a job — it’s a business — and it takes a special person to have the discipline to perform at a high level and keep up academically,” he said. “It taught us how to be gentlemen and professionals in life, and that’s carried over to everything I do.”
Though the business is based outside Hoover, Kerley’s connection to the city remains strong. His Hoover roots are recognized through his Hall of Fame honor. The legacy continues today with his son, EJ, a standout linebacker at Spain Park.
For Kerley, the drive is the same as it was on the practice fields at Berry — helping people reach their goals and discover what they can achieve.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing that happen,” he said.
