2 weeks Ago By Chris Hays
RJ Harvey really shouldn’t be getting all geared up for the NFL Draft, which starts Thursday night at 8 p.m.If Harvey were to have listened to all of his doubters, from all the way back in his little league playing days through high school and college, Harvey would never have amounted to anything.
Harvey, however, never listened. He heard it. He used it as motivation.
But it never stopped him from achieving goal after goal. Now, the former Edgewater High quarterback and UCF running back awaits his moment in the spotlight. The brightest of all spotlights — The NFL.
His father says he’s ready.Robert Harvey Sr. also heard all of the nonsense and chatter about his son.
“People were always saying he can’t do this because he’s too short or he can’t do this because he’s too small,” Harvey Sr. said. “He still has a lot to prove and he always has, and he will continue to do that.
That’s just his makeup. That’s who he is.“The naysayers, yeah, he hears it, but he don’t let that keep him from driving forward.
He keeps pushing.”UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey, who is waiting to see when his name will be called in the 2025 NFL Draft, set the UCF all-time touchdown record with 48. (Willie J.
Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)He’s certainly shown everyone what he can do. Now comes the biggest “look-at-me-now” moment for Harvey.
He’s projected to be drafted from the third to fifth round in this weekend’s draft.Harvey has proven his wherewithal. He has had plenty of hurdles standing in his way and leapt them at every turn.
He came out of Edgewater high as a quarterback recruit and signed with Virginia. During his first year in Charlottesville, however, Harvey didn’t like the fit and he decided to transfer. Part of his comfort zone, the warmth of home, was missing.
He entered the transfer portal and had some options, but home was the most inviting, and even though then UCF coach Josh Heupel was still wanting Harvey to come and play running back for the Knights, Harvey accepted.He finally put his quarterback thoughts aside and decided to carry the ball for the Knights.“He couldn’t even take a handoff when he first got to UCF,” said dad, Harvey Sr.
“RJ never played running back before, so he had to learn everything. People don’t know what he can do. He’s only played running back for three seasons.
”Had he decided to stay at UCF for his final season of eligibility, Harvey most likely would have surpassed Kevin Smith atop the UCF all-time rushing list. Harvey, however, entered the draft and so he sits at No. 2 on the chart with 3,792 yards.
He did set the all-time UCF mark for touchdowns at 48.Harvey’s accomplishments are impressive. Not only did he change positions only three years ago, he also suffered a torn ACL when he first arrived at UCF, and had to endure that rehabilitation before he ever really got onto the football field.
He went two full seasons without even playing in a game.That’s why dad thinks his son will be an even better running back in the NFL.UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) walks off the field for the last time to cheering fans after during the college football game against Utah Utes at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Willie J.
Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)“Transferring, having the knee injury, didn’t even have a full scholarship when he first got to UCF ..
. he worked his way. Heupel finally put him on scholarship right before he left [to coach Tennessee],” Harvey Sr.
said. “To see where he is now from where he was and compare him to all of the other running backs, who have been playing the position all of their lives, he stands out. Not because that’s my son.
It’s because people don’t know who he is. He’s gonna show them.”Harvey is hardly mentioned among the conversation about running back entering this draft.
He’s listed among the top 10, but many draft boards even have him going as low as the fourth or fifth round. His father just shakes his head.“I don’t understand it,” Harvey Sr.
said. “But he’s always proven everybody wrong and he’s going to continue to prove them wrong.”It’s an exciting time for the Harvey family.
“It’s a surreal moment. It’s been a little nerve-racking. We’re so proud of him because of his perseverance.
He kept going and going when people said he couldn’t do this and he couldn’t do that,” Harvey Sr. said. “And now his dream is about to be a reality, so yeah, we’re super proud of him.
”Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays..
