Harvin wins the Ray Guy Award

Georgia Tech senior punter Pressley Harvin III capped an impressive career and a stellar 2020 season with the Ray Guy Award on Thursday night. Harvin is just the second Tech player to win the honor. Former Tech punter Durant Brooks won it in 2007. Harvin is the first African-American to win the award.

Harvin's win is the first national award win for a Jacket player since center Sean Bedford won the Burlsworth Trophy in 2010. The Jackets punter edged out two rivals, Georgia's Jake Camarda and Miami's Lou Hedley. Ironically COVID scheduling issues led to the Jackets playing neither rival punter in 2020.

Harvin punted 45 times in 2020 with 2,161 yards and an average of 48 yards per punt. Of those punts, 18 landed inside the 20 and an impressive 22 went over 50 yards despite battling a back injury in the second half of the season.

During the virtual awards show on Thursday, the Walter Camp All-American team was announced and Harvin was on that making him the third consensus All-American Tech player joining legends Calvin Johnson (2006) and Ken Swilling (1990).

Harvin's career began in an unusual way being the first commitment of Tech's 2017 recruiting class as a specialist which was extremely unusual. He talked about his decision to come to the Flats and his early days in the program and what stood out to him about that time.

"When I first got here, I was definitely a lot younger, on the field, as well as off. It's been a ride. When I first got here, I didn't really think about it too much (winning awards). I was trying to get respect from the guys that were on that team with me back in 2017, and so on. It was a goal of mine individually (to win the Ray Guy Award). But when I started being around more of the guys and all, it kind of faded away from me for a while, I was more so worried about helping a team every time I was on the field, whether it was backed up or on the 45-yard line or plus 45. Looking back on it now, those relationships in all in the way that I thought about going about planning on the field for my team is definitely brought me to this moment."

The decision to become a specialist came out of Harvin's desire to help his football team as a young man.

"I was in seventh grade when I first started (punting). One day, we had open tryouts at every position and I also played center at the time, so no one wanted to punt. So I just made the decision of just trying to see how it would go," Harvin said. "I definitely had a pretty strong leg for a middle schooler. But when I first got to high school, my ninth grade year is when I started getting training and took that full time instead of playing other positions. I also played tight end at the time and it was a hard decision. At first, I had a couple of coaches that told me you literally have the size to be a decent tight end and a fullback but, I thought about it with my mom. My mom was also one of my first coaches and she told me no matter what you want to go down by whatever route, stick with it, it will make the opportunities happen for you along the way. And definitely, from that moment, back in my freshman year, it definitely sparked something in me that, I can do this, you're definitely going to be barriers. But barriers can always be broken. And, you know, ever since that moment has been just a complete grind for me. Kind of finally seeing the recognition that I wouldn't say I deserve but the recognition of all the hard work and every person that believed in me and all, I can truly come back and say thank you to it now."

While Harvin is the first African-American to win the Ray Guy Award, he is not the first great African-American Georgia Tech punter. Rodney Williams holds that honor as a former All-ACC and NFL punter. The Ray Guy Award started the year after his Tech career ended and he has been one of Harvin's biggest cheerleaders despite Harvin breaking some of his punting records on the Flats.

"(Rodney) talked to me a couple of times through Instagram and all and told me is, when barriers are put up, they're meant to be broken," Harvin said of being an African-American punter. "He kind of instilled that into me to continue to thrive and be good here. To be able to say I'm the first one the Ray Guy winner, I definitely am pleased with that. But I know I'm not gonna be the last and I think that's the most, the most, the best part about that."

Geoff Collins joined in midway through Harvin's career and he said the day he met the Georgia Tech football team and met Harvin is a moment that still stands out in his mind about the uniqueness of the talented specialist.

"The first night that we had a team meeting he came walking in and I'd never met any of the guys and they come walking through and I shake his hand and he told me he was the punter and I still remember those look and feel of disbelief that I had. He was like 'coach I'm your punter,' and I'm like, come on man," Collins said with a laugh. "Then we got up there for the first day of spring ball and it was ridiculous. His leg, just the way he works every single day, but there are a couple of meetings that are were first impressions first meetings that I'll never forget. Meeting Pressley Harvin, I thought he was the middle linebacker and he told me he was the punter. I was astounded."

Collins said Harvin winning the award was a nice way to put the very long year of 2020 in the rearview mirror while still celebrating some good moments.

"Pressley being at Georgia Tech, and what he's meant to this program, just his personality, the way the fan base the way they've embraced him and I really appreciated what he's brought to this team into this program," Collins said. Then even on the national level. You see the memes that are Pressley Harvin memes or things that get retweeted or quote tweeted about him. It's just scratching the surface of what a special man Pressley is and how much he means to this program, and I'm just really happy for him. It's been a long year, and we've been through a lot but the biggest thing that stays consistent is every single day, Pressley is on a mission to get better and better and better perfecting his craft be the best at what he can be the best at his position in college football and that is the driving force every single day. And to see somebody with that kind of focus that kind of commitment and then it pays off you know that is a signature moment for the program for other guys to see. A Pressley's shown us how doing just excited for those for the rest of the guys in the locker room to build upon that example."
Harvin is spending his time now preparing for the NFL and Pro Day at Georgia Tech as he aims to be the second specialist drafted in the NFL in the last five years for the Jackets' football program joining kicker Harrison Butker who just preceded Harvin by one year.