Fifteen Questions for Warren Harvey

By W.A. Myatt
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Warren Harvey (5-11, 225) is in his third season as the East Carolina kickoff specialist and placekicker. Harvey is an ECU legacy as his father, Charlie Harvey, played soccer as a Pirate and also was the program's head coach in 1987. Warren Harvey earned 13 varsity letters at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville competing in football, soccer, baseball and swimming.

In his junior season for the Pirates, Harvey connected on 61 of 63 conversion kicks and was 15 of 25 on field goal attempts. Thus far this year, he is a perfect 22 of 22 on PATs and has made 4 of 7 field goal attempts. Harvey began the season eighth on ECU's career scoring list. He kicked the 70th point in the Pirates' 70-41 win at home over North Carolina on Saturday. The construction management major has made numerous academic honor rolls.

Harvey took time to talk with Bonesville after practice Tuesday afternoon.

Q: Favorite restaurant in Greenville?

A: I'm a big fan of aTovala! over there behind Moe's. It's a really good restaurant.

Q: Favorite TV show?

A: Mountain Men.

Q: What does a typical day of practice entail for you?

A: It varies, depending on which day it is. Usually, a typical Tuesday we'll come out and run through a field goal circuit and after that we'll start warming up. I have to do kickoffs in period nine so I spend some time running through onside kicks getting ready for the kickoff period.

Q: It looks like you've been booting the ball a little bit further on kickoffs this year. Is that attributed to added strength, better technique or a different game plan?

A: It's a little bit of everything. Coach (Kirk) Doll has made some great schemes for us and personally over the summer I tried to (do) the best I could to improve my form and mentally improve myself to be a little bit more confident on the field.

Q: When you know the offense is in field goal position, do you have a routine you go through on the sideline?

A: Once we get into scoring position, I have a routine that I go through. It's to try to get mentally ready more than anything. Physically, you have to always be ready throughout the game. I mentally prepare and visualize myself kicking it through the uprights and maybe hit one or two balls into the net and get ready to go.

Q: Head coach Ruffin McNeill likes to talk about taking one play at a time. With your position that's really your only choice and sometimes those plays are few and far between. How do you maintain your focus on the next play?

A: It's something as a kicker, punter or special in general — it's really important for us. Whether the previous kick was good or bad, it happened and you move on. You have to have the same routine — once one play is done you get right back in that routine and get ready for the next one.

Q: What do you enjoy doing besides football?

A: I like anything outdoors. I'm a big fan of fishing, going out and relaxing by a bonfire, that type of thing.

Q: Coach Ruff likes to divide a whole season into smaller segments — seasons within seasons. Breaking it down in that way basically makes the bye week an offseason. What do you plan to work on during this open week?

A: I've mentioned this a lot, but the mental side of things. I want to come out and fine tune my technique and build confidence between Worth Gregory (holder), Colton Oliver (snapper) and other guys on the field goal protection team. We'll come out over the next two weeks and really bond and get ready for SMU.

Q: Do you try to embrace the pressure that comes with being a kicker, or do you try to block it out and not think about it?

A: I really just try to treat it like it's nothing — like growing up kicking in the backyard. That's how you have to approach it. No matter where it is, in practice, just yourself on the field or in front of 50,000 in Dowdy-Ficklen, you really have to approach it like it's nothing.

Q: What do you plan to do after you finish college football?

A: I'd definitely love to take a shot at the NFL if the opportunity is there. If not, I plan on graduating in December and I'd love to work for a construction company.

Q: What is your favorite memory playing football?

A: Just the experience at Dowdy-Ficklen. Growing up in Greenville, it's right here in my backyard. I grew up right around the corner from the stadium and it's really part of this town. It's a fun thing to be a part of.

Q: Who's been the most influential person in your life?

A: That's definitely a hard question. I'm not sure if I can answer that one, to be honest. My family, my girlfriend, they've all had a big impact on who I am and what I believe in.

Q: What was it like for you to run out of the tunnel Saturday, facing UNC in front of a record crowd in Dowdy-Ficklen stadium?

A: It's definitely something that you dream of. Growing up in this town, obviously that's a big rivalry and we take it very seriously. I felt blessed to have the opportunity to be part of such a great thing, getting a victory at the end of the day and having fun doing it.

Q: What is your favorite uniform combination?

A: I like the all black, personally. I think it's a fun combination and I think everyone enjoys it.

Q: What is your favorite thing about East Carolina?

A: Just the whole Pirate Nation. It feels like a tight-knit community, especially around the football program. It really is a family within this team and that's really something that I like about this university and playing Pirate football.

E-mail W.A. Myatt.

PAGE UPDATED 09/24/14 05:19 AM