The Astounding Impact The Steelers Family Had On Pressley Harvin III During A Tragic Time In His Life

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted punter Pressley Harvin III in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. His time in Pittsburgh has felt like a bit of a rollercoaster with really high highs and really low lows, both professionally and personally. 

Harvin, who played for Georgia Tech, was awarded the Ray Guy Award as a senior. The award recognizes the nation's top collegiate punter and Harvin became the first African American to ever win it. 

At 6' and 255 pounds, he is a much bigger figure than the average punter. That size also gives Harvin a powerful leg. 

Pressley Harvin Is Part Of The Steelers Family 

Harvin spoke candidly on the Athletic Aesthetic podcast which is hosted by Vinnie Candelore of VC2Art and former Pitt Panther Tre Tipton about the adversity, both on and off the field, that he had to overcome. 

He said he hardly remembers a time when his family wasn't dealing with illness. First, his father's kidney disease and later his mother's stroke. 

"I've been challenged throughout life a good bit, just about every level. My rookie year, my dad passed away. He had kidney failure since he was 16 years old. He had to do dialysis three times a week, I grew up seeing that. But I never saw my dad struggle, even though he was sitting on a machine five/six hours, three times a day trying to get his health back up."

While his father coached Harvin some when he was very young, he wasn't able to be there for most of his games because his health prohibited it. However, Harvin's father's illness wasn't the only struggle his family endured. 

"When I got into high school, my mom ended up having a bleeding on her brain while she was at work. It took her back to square one - she couldn't talk, couldn't walk, no body functions." 

Harvin, who was a multi-sport athlete, focused on trying to get a scholarship to college, did not work, and was worried about supporting his family. His mother spent a significant amount of time in the hospital and then a rehabilitation facility, having to learn to live again. Harvin said they gave each other strength and knew they would get through it. 

"My family always just found a way, that's our motto, we're gonna find a way through it and an opportunity is only an opportunity if you make the most of it."

When Harvin got to the pros, those struggles did not disappear. His father continued to fight for his life and Harvin found himself struggling on the field. He was getting raked over the coals by the press for inconsistent hangtimes and poor punt placements. 

The team knew that Harvin had a lot on his plate with the illness in his family. They also knew that the opportunities for his father to see him play in the pros were limited, his father likely did not have long left to live. 

"We're in an organization where it's 'family, faith, and football,' in that order. The family part is real. Everybody in that organization was there for my family. That was something that they did not have to do. They got my dad to the Tennessee game that year, fully paid for the whole trip to get him up there. He couldn't fly so they rented an RV so he would be comfortable. Just doing stuff like that, while I am on the field struggling my rookie year, trying to figure it out."

Harvin said that Head Coach Mike Tomlin helped him learn that you can only control what you can control. He lost his father on Christmas Day that year and then two weeks later, his beloved grandmother. He was overcome with appreciation for the way the Steelers family stepped in and supported him.

"That was a hard decision for me. Do I step away from the team before we play Kansas City, or do I go on this trip? Do step away from my job and let somebody else do it? Or do I not be there for my family? The team made it easier for me to make that decision. I was scared for my job, but at the same time, I felt comfortable because they were reaching out and wanting to do so much for my family and trying to help."  

Harvin ultimately missed two games while he dealt with the passing of his father, but said when he returned, he returned with a new profound respect for the team that made him part of a new family.  

"Number one, if I can get through all of this stuff, I can get through anything in life. Number two, if you are behind me while I am getting through this, I feel like I am forever in debt to you because of the help that you provided when I couldn't do too much for my family. When I got back to the team, everybody just came in with open arms and I actually felt a team that I got a lot closer to the guys because of that."

Do you think the Steelers treat their players like family? Is this something you think is common in the NFL or in the workplace in general? Click to comment below.  

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