After success as an amateur, Westminster resident dreams of becoming a pro

Chains rattle as Westminster resident Brandon Harper hammers the big black punching bag hanging at Gold's Gym in Owings Mills.

His tattooed right biceps tenses and relaxes as the 21-year-old swiftly jabs at the bag. Harper, wearing all black from his Everlast sleeveless shirt down to his New Balance shoes, is locked in on his task.

Left, right, right, right, left. Harper's black gloves pound harder and harder as his controlled fists move quicker and quicker between body shots and head shots. This is what he lives for.

Harper is beginning his third year of amateur boxing. The welterweight fighter has accomplished a lot during two years in the ring, including a 10-1 amateur record with four knockouts. In 2004, Harper won the Maryland Gold Gloves Championship and earned the title of Maryland and Virginia regional champion.

He said boxing fills a simple need for him.

"It has calmed me down a lot because I have so much energy," he said. "If I'm really mad, I can come to the gym and hit a bag instead of probably going out and hitting somebody in the street. ... It helps you get that anger out."

Rise, Fall and Back Again

It all started when Harper found the Owings Mills Boxing Club through the Internet in January 2002. He had wanted to be a boxer for years, but never knew where to begin. He joined the club, based at Gold's Gym, and finally was on his way.

Phil Gobrecht, Harper's trainer, said the young man always stood out as someone with vast potential.

"The first thing that we noticed is he's a real quick learner," Gobrecht said. "He started looking like a real quality fighter within the first two months, which is very rare. ... Within the first six months, I knew he'd be a champion and now we're going to see how far he goes."

Harper trained eight months for his first fight, but it didn't take long for the 5-foot-11, 154-pounder to find success in the ring. Harper knocked out his first opponent in about 48 seconds.

"My ego shot up so big. My head got swollen," he said. "I just knocked him out and you just hear the crowd and everybody just cheering for you. You come up shaking your head. It just lifts up your confidence so much. I'm like, 'I'm going to go in there and I'm going to win every fight.' "

Harper did win his first six fights, including the Maryland Golden Gloves title, before suffering his first loss last June. He agreed to fight a boxer from a heavier weight class on short notice and lost by decision. The defeat sent Harper into a tailspin that kept him out of the gym for about two months.

"That loss put me through a depression stage," he said. "I feel like I was robbed, too, in a way. I watched the video over and over. I was just trying to figure out what I did wrong. I was putting a lot on myself, on my chest and everything. It just put me down for a while."

Harper forced himself back to work at the gym and has won his three fights since, to restore the swagger he sported during the early portion of his career. His next match is scheduled to be in Towson on Jan. 22, when he will defend his regional championship.

Long Journey

to the Present

Championships were the last thing Harper needed to defend when he was growing up. As a child, he moved from place to place, experiencing some hardships along the way.

Harper said he was always fighting to hold his ground as a little kid because of the constant movement.

Nancy Snodgrass, Brandon's mother, said Harper was raised as a typical "military brat." His biological father, Lee Harper, and his stepfather, Phillip Snodgrass, were both Army officers.

His mother described Brandon as a nice, laid-back, but determined kid.

"I think his personality comes a lot from his being a military kid," she said. "It's a totally different life being military."

Harper experienced the life of a military kid from the time he was born at Fort McClellan, Ala., in 1983. Before settling in Westminster with his mother and stepfather in 2001, Harper lived through two tours in Germany, and called Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama and Harrisburg, Pa., his home.

He experienced tragedy when his older brother, Felix, died of a heart condition at age 13 in Germany, 14 years ago. Harper's parents divorced in 1994 while living at Fort Rucker, Ala. His mother married Phillip Snodgrass two years later.

Harper is finally experiencing some stability living in Westminster since his stepfather retired. After graduating from high school, Harper bounced from job to job while trying to earn some money.

He worked at Boscov's department store before moving on to his current job with Freestate Drilling. He has worked for the soil-testing construction business since October. He works from 5:30 a.m. to around 3 p.m. or later while also working out and training for boxing 15 to 20 hours per week.

The Next Step

Harper said that within about a year and a half, with proper training, he hopes to turn pro and no longer need a regular day job.

"I'd rather just focus on boxing and just nothing else. If I could just focus on boxing, I could train twice a day," Harper said. "[The long day] takes a toll on my body, but I just have to get used to it."

To make that dream come true, Harper needs a full-time boxing coach and a sponsor. He has not had the time to look for either, but said he has been slipped business cards by people wondering when he will make the jump.

Gobrecht said he has no doubt Harper can make the move, but it's just a question of when he will be ready.

"That's a big step," he said. "When you go pro, you can be fighting people that have had hundreds of fights, not just 10 or 11, so you have to be ready to play anybody at any level.
Below: Harper ducks as sparing partner Steve Forbes throws a punch.
"We're going to get him the best sparring partners we can, get him the experience with open-class fighters that have any number of fights, so that he can fight people with experience way beyond his. Once he's comfortable fighting at that level, then we can go pro."

Nancy Snodgrass said her son has the type of determination that if he says he wants to be a pro boxer, it will happen. Harper said he has no backup plan. He wants to be a professional boxer and nothing else.

"I want to be a champ. I want to be known. I want to leave my footsteps on the earth before I pass away," Harper said. "I definitely want to be a legend. I want people to know that last name Harper.

"I won't stop. I will go through anything."

Reach staff writer Josh Land at 410-857-7896 or sports@lcniofmd.com.