Pittsburgh Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III had his father on the sidelines for the Steelers’ win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and Harvin was grateful, as he’s not sure how many more times he will get do so.
Pressley Harvin II was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the Steelers arranged to have the father of their rookie punter transported to Heinz Field Sunday.
“Thank you to this organization for making this weekend special for my father,” the younger Harvin wrote on Instagram. “We found out this week that his time left on Earth is limited. With short notice, we were able to get him to a game one last time. Continue to pray for my dad as well as my family as we navigate through hard times and continue to try to get my father in better health.”
Harvin was the Steelers’ seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech this year and unseated incumbent Jordan Berry as the team’s punter in training camp. It’s been an up-and-down rookie season for the former Ray Guy Award winner, a trend highlighted on Sunday by two short kicks out of bounds and one returned 55 yards by the Titans.
It’s clear that Harvin been going through some difficult off-the-field times, as well as the typical on-field adjustment to the NFL that most rookies must go through.
Head coach Mike Tomlin was critical of his punt team’s performance on Sunday, but has praised Harvin for consistent his work as a holder this season. The Steelers needed three Chris Boswell field goals to secure victory over the Titans on Sunday.