From his official CBS Survivor: China bio
page:
"Erik Huffman was born in Greenville, South Carolina, where
he remained through college. From an early age, he enjoyed a
number of sports, excelling in football and baseball. He
also achieved academic excellence, from competing at the
Greenville County Spelling Bee at age 10 to ranking 10th out
of 243 people in his high school graduation class. He
continued playing football in high school and began running
track. Huffman's hopes of being a potential college football
prospect were shattered when he broke his leg during his
senior year. In track, he specialized in the Triple Jump,
qualifying and competing once for the State Championship.
Huffman graduated from Furman University with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Business Administration in 2003. In 2001, he
also spent six months studying at Griffith University in
Queensland, Australia. During college, he played intramural
sports, but his energy became more focused on music. Having
previously worked as a sporting goods sales representative
and a waiter, Huffman found more pleasure in media and
entertainment. At age 18, he began modeling and landed spots
in local print ads and commercials in Greenville. His
profile took a leap when he was discovered by Ford Models.
He has done work with Hanes, Glamour, Abercrombie &
Fitch, Finish Line (in Sports Illustrated), Macy's, Target
and many others.
Huffman's father began teaching him guitar at age 13, and
he later picked up bass guitar at age 16. Music was a
passion, but it remained only a hobby for years. During his
free time at Furman, Huffman began playing bass guitar with
Alex Florez, and just before graduating college, he decided
to pursue music more seriously. He is currently a full-time
musician, playing bass guitar and singing with his rock
band, FLOREZ. The band travels in a 15-passenger van to
various cities across the United States, playing about three
shows a week at clubs, colleges and private parties. FLOREZ
has shared the stage with Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra,
Josh Kelley, The Doobie Brothers, Gavin DeGraw and Robert
Randolph, to name a few. In 2005, the band signed a
co-publishing deal with BMG Songs North America and, in
February of 2006, their song, "Natalie," was featured in the
television series "Scrubs." Aside from music, Erik still
models part-time. He currently appears in the Summer/Fall
2007 Hanes campaign.
Huffman's hobbies include running, football, lifting
weights, frisbee, golf, Sudoku, movies, snowboarding and
skateboarding. He describes himself as genuine, honest,
sensitive, competitive, a problem solver, athletic and
sometimes, a perfectionist. Huffman is a Christian, and he
believes his faith will keep him strong and focused when
faced with the physical, mental and emotional hardships of Survivor:
China.
Huffman currently resides in a Nashville, Tennessee. His
birth date is January 31, 1981."