Steelers' Pressley Harvin III Feels The Heat As Fierce Competition For His Job Starts Now

Pittsburgh Steelers punter, Pressley Harvin III is entering his third season in the league. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech. 

His time adapting to the NFL has not been a smooth one. His rookie year was marred by tragic personal losses as he dealt with the death of his father and grandmother while trying to adjust to this new system. Most analysts expected him to make a bigger jump during his second year than he actually did. Harvin still presented as inconsistent in most games. 

Now, headed into his third year, Harvin says that he feels fully integrated into playing at the professional level and expects to have his best season yet. However, that may not be the slam dunk that Harvin is presenting. The Steelers have brought in competition for him. 

That competition comes in the form of Braden Mann, who was signed off waivers from the New York Jets. In addition, the team invited Adam Korsak to rookie mini-camp. Korsak, an Australian who played for Rutgers University, was expected to be drafted in 2023. After being snubbed, he received some invites from NFL teams to their mini-camps.  

Steelers' Pressley Harvin III Talks With Arthur Moats About The New Competition 

Recently, Harvin joined former Steelers linebacker, Arthur Moats, on his show, The Arthur Moats Experience, and they talked about not only his feelings about his gameplay, but also how he feels about the competition.  

Harvin said that he feels he has finally fully transitioned from college to the NFL, a process that takes some time. Not only are there some notable physical differences, such as the ball or the hash marks, the biggest adjustment is the mental one. 

"If you've been playing football, you can be capable enough, it's just how focused you can be to be able to do it on the highest level. It's the leap from trying to do something until you get it right every single time, but when you're in the NFL, especially as a specialist, that changes from trying to do it right every single time to doing it consistently until you can't get it wrong. It sounds the same, but it's different."

He says that in high school and college, you just practice rep after rep trying to get perfect, but in the NFL, the reps are fewer, but you want them to be of better quality. Harvin said in his view, the special teams reps are some of the most intense during NFL practices because so much rides upon their success. 

The fans often view the big plays - receptions, sacks, etc. as what is most important, but often games are won or lost by the battle for field position and field goals. That isn't lost on Harvin, which is why he welcomes any incoming competition for the position. He knows it helps push him to excel. 

"Coach T [Mike Tomlin] is going back and forth and making it competitive. You know we have another punter in the building, Braden Mann, which is a good friend of mine. Me and him have been going neck and neck with punting and competition since high school."    

Mann and Harvin were both Ray Guy Award winners when they were in college. The award is given each year to college football's most outstanding punter. Harvin was the first African American to win the award. Moats' co-host Deke makes a joke about there being two punters with the same award on the field and Harvin laughs and says Tomlin never misses an opportunity to use that to spur the players on. 

"Coach T always finds something to get under our skin. He always brings up those trophies and he's like, 'Alright, which one's gonna be more shiny today."

When asked how the competition is going, Harvin said he recognizes that this is just part of the business. He said you try not to see it as someone is here trying to take your job, but the reality is that is exactly what it is. At the end of the day, there is only one spot for a punter. 

Harvin said this kind of competition isn't the norm for punters. For almost any other position on the team, you have depth behind you that is just waiting for their chance to show what they can do. Moats agrees and says that was exactly what his experience was as a linebacker. He was waiting for his turn, working as hard as he could, then when he started, he knew someone was behind him hoping for their shot. But Harvin says not having competition isn't always a good thing. 

"You know you're the guy, but you also don't get that competitive edge that everybody else gets in practice."

While Harvin and Mann have been competing against each other for years, this is the first opportunity they have really had to become friends and spend time together. Harvin said that he has to put this whole competition thing into perspective.  

"I told myself I can't have hard feelings about stuff like that. I don't view it as I'm not welcome here or I don't want you to be the guy here, or anything like that. That stuff, that's clutter, that's all that stuff is. If I wanted somebody to be competition for me, I honestly wouldn't pick anybody better than him. My whole career is all based on competition."

All Harvin can control is himself he says. He is going to continue to work on honing his craft as well as controlling the natural anxiety that boils up when you know 60,000 eyes are all on you. 

How do you think the punting completion will shake out? Click to comment below.

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