Robert Pim will keep his football career going at Shorter University.
Pim is a 2026 Gilmer High graduate and helped lead the Bobcats to consecutive state playoff berths as an upperclassman. Shorter is located in Rome, and Pim also received a scholarship offer from Huntington University in Indiana.
“How close it was to home and the brotherhood that everybody had at the school,” said Pim when asked what attracted him to Shorter. “They had a player panel on my visit for us to talk to and get to know. At Huntington, they weren’t close and tight-knit.”
Shorter head coach Zach Morrison first contacted Pim by text during his senior year. He attended a recruitment camp at Shorter and committed in January.
“With college football, I really didn’t even think I was good enough to play, but I guess they thought I was,” Pim said.
Pim’s family moved to Ellijay from Paulding County when he was in fifth grade. He played football the previous year before they made the move. However, once in Ellijay, Pim attended North Georgia Christian Academy through eighth grade. He enrolled at GHS as a freshman, which is when his football career resumed.
“It took me a second to get reacclimated,” Pim said. “But once I got reacclimated my sophomore year, it was good and I was fine.”
Pim’s graduating class was the second to have Paul Standard as head coach for all four years. The class of 2026 is the second in program history (along with the class of 2015) to reach the state playoffs in three straight seasons.
“He definitely has an offensive mind, and I don’t think there’s anyone who runs the triple option as good as him,” Pim said of Standard. “It was cool to see him go through how everything works with the offense. He’s really personable and you can talk to him about anything and he’ll actually listen.
“I played fullback freshman year, but I switched to tight end. I learned a lot of different positions. By junior year, I could play at any spot on the offensive line.”
Pim played tight end from his sophomore year on, where he was used exclusively to block. On the defensive side, he took the field at end and linebacker.
The Cats finished 7-5 in 2023 and secured a state playoff berth to break an eight-year drought. It also marked the first time GHS had a winning record in nine seasons. When Gilmer defeated Adairsville 35-28 in the first round, it was the Cats’ first state playoff win since 2014.
GHS posted a 5-5 regular-season record Pim’s junior year. Gilmer reached the playoffs and faced North Hall as heavy underdogs. A potential game-winning field goal attempt in the final seconds ricocheted off an upright. The Trojans went on to win in overtime.
The Cats were back in the playoffs last season and were tasked with taking on Douglass High in Atlanta. The Cats lost the lead late as the hometown Astros pulled out a 19-15 win. Gilmer ended the season with a 6-5 record. Over Pim’s four-year GHS career, the Cats were 23-21. It was Gilmer’s best four-year record since the class of 2015 (32-12).
Pim and the offensive line helped the Bobcats rush for 3,189 yards, 41 touchdowns and 29 points per game in 2025. Following the season, Pim was named to the all-region first team.
“It was cool to be a part of,” Pim said of his time at GHS. “I got limited playing time my sophomore year. My junior year, I played a lot, and by senior year, I played every snap. It was cool going to the playoffs and playing teams we didn’t already know.”
Pim has put in time in the weight room and is Gilmer’s all-time record holder with a 650 squat. He power cleans 325 and bench presses 275.
It comes as no surprise who had an impact on him at GHS.
“(Former defensive coordinator and strength) coach (Jeff) Nelson was a positive motivator,” Pim said. “After sophomore year, I was one of the strongest kids in the weight room. We got close over the years and had a good relationship.”
His interest in the strength side of athletics originally set Pim’s sights on becoming a strength coach, but he was not too keen on the school setting. He has opted to study biology to eventually become a physical therapist.
He will stick to his familiar defensive positions when he takes the field at SU.
“I played mainly defensive end at Gilmer, so that’s really what my strong suit is," Pim said. "But I’ll play wherever they can throw me in and I can be my best at. There are only a couple defensive ends on the roster, so I’ll be competing for a second-string spot immediately. That’s something that attracted me to Shorter. Huntington wanted me to play tight end and they’re a spread team, and I have never run a spread.”
Pim plans to continue to improve in the weight room and hopes to set new records at Shorter as well. On the field, he is looking for that effort to translate into 'getting good playing time.'
“Going on to Shorter, I’m looking forward to a change of scenery. I’ve been playing with the same players and coaches, and this is something new to look forward to," Pim said. "It’s not just another year. I loved high school football and miss it, but this is starting back over again.”
Shorter competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II as members of the Conference Carolinas.