Who is Pressley Harvin? What Steelers fans need to know about the 2021 draft pick

There haven’t been many Black punters in the NFL. but Pressley Harvin will be the next one.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted the Sumter High School and Georgia Tech punter on Saturday during the seventh round of the NFL Draft.

Harvin will be the first Black punter to kick in a game since Marquette King in 2018. Only a handful of Black punters have kicked in a game in the NFL, according to a 2016 story by USA Today.

Here are five other things to know about Harvin:

Harvin makes history

Harvin made history this year with Georgia Tech, becoming the first Black punter to lead the nation in punting with a 48.0-yard average.

He also was the first Black punter to win the Ray Guy Award, named after the former Oakland Raiders Hall of Famer and given annually to the nation’s top punter.

Harvin said he shares a special bond with other black punters including former Raiders punter Marquette King and Greg Coleman, the first Black punter in NFL.

Bigger than your normal punter

Typically, punters are about 6-foot and in the 210-215 pound range. Harvin’s height is close to that at 5-foot-11. He weighed 262 pounds on his pro day, though his weight has dropped some since then and he’s hoping to be around 255 pounds when he reports to camp.

Harvin’s build has been fodder for those on social media. Folks on Twitter were abuzz during the first game of his freshman year against Tennessee.

“I remember one person posted, ‘Why does Georgia Tech have a punter that is the same size as a defensive lineman?’ “ Harvin recalled. “From that moment on, I wanted to tell people you shouldn’t care what I look like if I can do the same job if not better than other guys.”

Harvin has tried to not let comments about his weight bother him He also finds it funny that people are still surprised when they find out he is a punter — despite being built like a fullback or linebacker.

Harvin not afraid to throw it

Pressley Harvin showed he can do more than just punt.

In college at Georgia Tech, he attempted three passes — including a 41-yard touchdown pass against Miami in 2019. At his pro day, scouts had Harvin throw a few passes.

“Being a punter at my size, I feel like I can bring more to the table,” Harvin said. “I can stop and tackle someone on special teams. I can run the ball and throw the ball. That is one thing I wanted to bring to the punting position is how I could show off my leg when I have to. And how to be versatile enough to have other things in my back pocket that I and the coach could use.”

Where is Harvin from?

Harvin attended Sumter High School, but he is from and lived in the town of Alcolu — about 20 minutes southeast of Sumter.

According to the latest Census numbers, Alcolu has a population of 499. Alcolu was established between 1885 and 1890 by D.W. Alderman and was known as a mill town.

Talented musician

Football isn’t the only thing in which Harvin excels.

Harvin was a first chair in Sumter’s concert band — and plays four different versions of the saxophone. He also plays the piano, and he played both instruments at his home church of Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church in Alcolu.

Harvin’s father, Pressley Jr., played music in church and his uncle and grandfather also were into music.