Punter Pressley Harvin III stands out from the crowd at Steelers rookie minicamp

No matter what is written on paper, the first thing that stands out about Pressley Harvin III is his size.

Harvin was listed as being 5-foot-11 and weighing 263 pounds on his NFL.com profile. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ bio adds another inch but deducts eight pounds from his frame.

Either way, Harvin draws stares from people who inquire about his football position.

“I always get that question: ‘What do you play,’ ” Harvin said Friday after the first day of rookie minicamp with the Steelers. “People try to guess. It’s always a D-lineman or fullback or halfback. When I tell them I’m a punter, they are kind of astonished.”

Harvin, of course, isn’t built like the typical NFL punter. Jordan Berry, his competition for winning a job on the Steelers 53-man roster, is 6-5 and tops out at 195 pounds. On the Steelers, Harvin — be it at 255 or 263 pounds — weighs more than tight end Eric Ebron, outside linebacker T.J. Watt and inside linebacker Vince Williams.

“I’m a bigger dude,” Harvin III said.

And he has used his size to his advantage, winning the Ray Guy Award as college football’s top punter in 2020 and parlaying his booming punts as a four-year starter at Georgia Tech to become a seventh-round draft pick. Harvin was the only punter selected among the 259 players drafted.

“When you look at me, I don’t look like it, but I put a lot of dedication into getting myself into the position where I am today,” Harvin said. “I kind of thrive on it. People are unique in their own ways. Mine is my size. I bring something else to the table. I’ve got a strong leg. Being in my frame, I’m completely comfortable with it.”

General manager Kevin Colbert was comfortable enough with Harvin to use a draft pick on a punter for the first time since 2007.

“Pressley Harvin is a big-legged guy,” Colbert said after the NFL Draft. “When I say that, he has a naturally powerful leg. He averaged 44.7 for his career. I believe it was 47.6 this season (actually 48.0). It’s just a natural, powerful leg.”

Harvin didn’t set out to be a punter while growing up in South Carolina. What kid does? As one of the bigger kids on his youth team, he played the offensive line. In middle school, the team needed someone to punt, and Harvin volunteered.

Harvin went from the kid snapping the ball as a center to the one booting it.

“I figured we’ll see where it goes,” Harvin said. “Here we are today. Many, many years later, I’m here because of that one decision.”

Harvin began concentrating on punting in high school, and as a senior, he was rated the No. 4 punter in the country by ESPN. At Georgia Tech, Harvin led all Division I true freshmen in punting, and he ranked No. 16 nationally with a 44.1 average. He averaged 44.8 yards as a junior when he was called upon to punt 80 times in 12 games.

He also got a chance to show off his arm that year, throwing a 46-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt against Miami.

The best was yet to come. As a senior, Harvin led the national and set school and ACC records by averaging 48 yards per punt. He was named a unanimous first-team All-American and became the first African-American punter to win the Ray Guy Award.

“I feel like I’m a trailblazer,” Harvin said. “I’m going to be able to pave the way for guys after me and make the route easier for them.”

When Georgia Tech conducted its pro day, the Steelers were represented by special teams coach Danny Smith, a former Yellow Jackets assistant coach. It wasn’t a coincidence, then, that the Steelers were the team that drafted Harvin.

As the only punter among the 34 players attending rookie minicamp, Harvin did what most specialists do during practice Friday. He worked off to the side, away from the offensive and defensive players, and fielded short underhand throws from long snapper Christian Kuntz.

“I expect to get some good work up here,” Harvin said. “I have to take advantage of the opportunity to highlight my attributes on the field. The biggest thing I’m going to worry about is just to live in the moment, take it all in.

“At this time last year, we didn’t know if we were going to play football. Just to be in the position I’m in today, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”