Wheeling – Jordan Harvey’s ascension to an all-state linebacker wasn’t predicted when he stepped on the field in Coal City three years ago.
“I was actually a defensive lineman as a freshman,” Harvey laughed. “I knew that probably wouldn’t last because I was only 180 pounds.
After the graduation of a big senior class at Independence, Harvey made the shift to linebacker, trusting head coach John H. Lilly’s decision to make that move. It was one he saw coming not only because of his size but the personnel graduated at the position.
“We had great guys like Hunter Williams who played that position so I knew we’d have holes there,” Harvey said. “During the offseason I worked with Coach Lilly and he helped me a lot. He’s coached Defensive Player of the Year winners, NFL players and college players so he knows what he’s doing.”
Lilly might not have a crystal ball but he was spot on with Harvey.
After feeling out the position as a sophomore, the senior exploded last season earning first-team all-state honors while also finishing as a Howley Award finalist, given to the state’s top linebacker.
The accolades were well deserved as the Indy defense yielded less than two touchdowns per game. Led by Harvey, that unit has only improved, allowing 5.9 points per game this season. That number drops when you take out the two kick return touchdowns yielded on special teams.
Harvey’s journey to quarterbacking the dominant unit took well over a year before he truly felt comfortable there.
While knowing he’d be making the move to linebacker, Harvey didn’t have the best feel for the position in 2020, but he played well enough to help the Patriots earn a playoff berth that season. With an abbreviated Covid season and an additional off-season under his belt, it all clicked for him last season.
“It wasn’t until my junior year I felt good,” Harvey said. “I was still working out the kinks and me and coach would watch film just about every day whether it was in his class or I’d come in during lunch. It was a whole process because you can always do things better, especially since I was still raw at the position and I was relying a lot more on my instincts instead of my technique. We had a lot to work on, but I felt like when we played Shady my junior I really started to feel comfortable.
“It also helped we switched defenses from a 4-2-5 to a 3-3-5 stack. It helped out a lot having more help on gap control and gave us a little more time to read the play and make a play. All of that stuff together helped me become more comfortable with the position.”
With four down linemen Harvey was forced more into a wait and see role as a sophomore. With three down, it’s given him the ability to get up field and blow plays up in the backfield. It’s paid dividends during the Patriots second consecutive Class AA title game run. During their semifinal game against North Marion he scooped a fumble and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. On a third-and-goal against Fairmont Senior in the quarterfinal round he notched a sack for a 20-yard loss which forced a long field goal attempt that the Polar Bears missed.
“Having Chandler (Johnson) come on this season has helped a lot,” Harvey said. “When you’ve been playing with somebody so long you build trust and in this defense you have to rely on trust because everyone’s got to hold a gap. Every defense is a gap defense but especially this one. One miscue whether you’re going in or out is going to open up a hole and then potentially cause a big play. But the defense has helped me blitz more freely too. I have less responsibility in pass coverage since most of the time we’re running man coverage with our corners and safeties so it’s really helped out a lot being able to do my own thing. It’s not really doing my own thing but it lessens my responsibilities and I can play the run a lot more.”
If it wasn’t already apparent, Harvey oozes intelligence.
His success isn’t a result of talent alone as he’s put in the hours in the film room and the weight room. It’s to the point where he’s been reprimanded in some of his classes for focusing on film as opposed to his studies but it doesn’t seem to matter.
“He’s been a stud since he walked in the door,” Lilly said. “He’s a 4.0 student and he’s very analytical and he’s going to make sure everybody’s in the right spot and the right place and he’s going to ask 100 questions until he gets it right. He’s also going to make sure everybody else gets it right. He’s a coach on the field and honestly he could probably call the defense. The minute he walked in the door we knew he was going to be a good one.”
Harvey isn’t perfect and he knows that, but his awareness of that sets him apart. He realizes mistakes will be made but the goal is to limit them.
“I watch a lot of film,” Harvey said. “If I’m not doing class work or hanging out with friends or anything – even when I am I’m still watching film. I try not to look at my highlights either. I know a lot of people want to go straight to their highlights but you’ve got to realize what you did wrong in what situation. I mean everyone whether you’re a Kennedy or a Howley Award Winner, you’re going to make a mistake at some point in time. It’s just whether you’re going to be able to limit those mistakes. You’re not always going to make a big tackle for a loss and big plays are going to happen. It’s just being able to limit those things and being able to be around a bunch of guys I trust on a daily basis and drilling and working on a daily basis helps. There’s been times we’ve been yelled at by teachers for watching film and not doing our work in class but that’s the bond we have.”
As prepped as he’s ever going to be, there’s one more team-oriented goal for Harvey to achieve – win a state championship. He’ll have the opportunity to close his career with one Friday evening when the Patriots play Herbert Hoover at Wheeling Island Stadium. He combed through the film to the point he knows almost exactly how many times Hoover QB Dane Hatfield has carried the ball the last two games.
“Stopping the run is big,” Harvey said. “Dane’s the focal point of their offense. You can see it and we’ve been over it. He’s run the ball 77 or 78 times the last two games against Winfield and Frankfort. I think the biggest thing is being able to spread out the defense is big for them. They’ve got two really good receivers and Dane’s one of the best if not the best quarterback in double-A. So it’s going to be a big challenge on our defense but if we play like we’ve played the last two weeks I don’t think anybody can beat us but ourselves. But we know it will be a dogfight. Everybody wants it for their community so we’ll have to do what we’ve done all season and trust each other.”
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
