Georgia Tech punter Pressley Harvin took one more step toward achieving team history when he was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) on Thursday. Harvin, who leads FBS in punting average at 48.0 yards per punt, now only needs to be named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation to be considered a unanimous All-American.
In team history, only safety Ken Swilling (1990) and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (2006) have earned unanimous All-American status. The NCAA designates five official All-America teams for recognizing unanimous All-Americans – AFCA, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp. By being named to at least three of the teams, he has already become the 22nd Tech player to earn consensus All-American status.
Harvin has been named a first-team All-American by all but the Walter Camp selectors, which will release its team on Jan. 7, the same day that the winner of the Ray Guy Award will also be recognized. Harvin is one of three finalists for that award, along with Georgia’s Jake Camarda and Miami’s Lou Hedley.
Harvin’s season average has broken Tech’s single-season record (45.6 yards, set by Rodney Williams in 1997) and he is all but certain to finish the season as the new ACC single-season record holder, breaking the mark of North Carolina’s Brian Schmitz of 47.8, set in 1999.
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