Ernest Harvey Jr. Preparing Men On and Off The Field
In a time of social unrest and division, there is a man in Thibodaux, Louisiana that is doing his part to bring about change in the community and on the field of play. Ernest Harvey Jr. is a speed and agility trainer that works with some of the biggest and brightest stars of tomorrow coming out of the southeastern Louisiana area at Camp Moula. Having overcome challenges in his own life, Harvey Jr. is now helping to prepare young athletes to be successful in life and in their sport.
Harvey Jr. was an All-State caliber wide receiver in high school but never attended college due to what he described as, "not having a lot of things in place for myself that would have allowed me to go on and play at the college level." Life went on for Harvey Jr. and after working in various jobs, he knew that one thing he had a passion for was teaching and coaching athletes.
"I knew that I had the ability to communicate to athletes things they needed to know in order to at least become very good, if not great high school players. Also, I knew that many guys around here have the athleticism to be great beyond that, and with the right guidance that there would be several move on to have great careers at the next levels" said Harvey Jr.
There is no denying that Harvey is able to work with student-athletes who possess great God-given abilities in his locality. However, Harvey Jr. is intentional and purpose-driven in helping athletes to become, "faster, quicker, stronger. We work on different movements and techniques that help them to stay ready and to improve. We want them moving the right way and have found that through this the athletes have no been getting injured as much as well."
Maason Smith and Shazz Preston are two of the more high profile recruits that Ernest Harvey Jr. works with. Both are being targeted by major programs all across the country. When you see Smith and the way he moves at 315 pounds, it's a testament to the work that he and Harvey Jr. have put in for going on two years. Smith is a student-athlete at Terrebonne High School and a five-star defensive tackle that moves with tremendous fluidity and explosiveness.
Shazz Preston is a terrific athlete that plays wide receiver at St. James high school. Preston helped the Wildcats win their first State Championship in 40 years a season ago and while he and Harvey Jr. definitely work on speed and agility, Harvey Jr. notes Preston is an athlete that he works more on with mindset, leadership, and the intangibles. "Shazz is the type of guy that loves to work. He's not one to BS when it comes time to work. Guys buy into him. He's got all the tools to be a great athlete and have success at the next level, but he wants to be great in all areas and make others great" said Preston's trainer.
Speaking of leadership, it's not all just about the physical skills and the athletic mindset at Harvey Jr.'s facility. Harvey Jr. explained that he is trying to mentor the young men that he works with in a way that will help them with the social issues of today. "I try to communicate to them that you can't label a whole group or a whole race as bad just because of the actions of 10 or 20 or a certain number of people. We bring in police to speak to our guys and communicate about issues and how to handle things when you're interacting with law enforcement. We also want our young men to be good in life, not just good football players and we try to instill things in them that will help them to do so. A lot of our conversations are about everyday life and we definitely strive to teach life lessons" shared Harvey Jr.
Look for terrific prospects and mature, well informed young men to be produced by Camp Moula.
RECRUITING UPDATE
During the conversation on some of his star pupils, Harvey Jr. spoke some of Maason Smith and Shazz Preston. In the classes of 2021 and 2022 respectively, both are being recruited hard by the Georgia Bulldogs. For Smith, Harvey Jr. said, "I believe there is a group of 5 or 10 schools that all look the same to him right now. He's going to have to go on visits and things of that nature when he's able to help him decide what's best for him and his family. One thing about Maason is that he doesn't let the process and the attention overwhelm him. He understands at the end of the day this is a business decision for him. Georgia is a great program and one that has been dominant over the recent era" explained the speed and agility coach.
On Shazz Preston, Harvey Jr. said, "It's very early and Shazz has great interest from schools all over the country." After expounding upon Preston's skill set and leadership qualities as mentioned earlier on, Harvey Jr. later noted that, "Shazz has a great relationship with Coach Hankton. He (Shazz Preston) camped there (UGA) last year. Coach Hankton and his father are good friends and they recruited his older brother too."
We at Dawgs Daily believe that Georgia is definitely in the hunt with Maason Smith. Smith's destination may be somewhat linked to the recruitment of Korey Foreman as well. Both of the elite defensive linemen have openly stated they intend to play together at the next level. Obviously, the wishes of recruits to team up do not always come to fruition, but it's worth noting that Georgia seems to be making ground with Foreman who de-committed from Clemson and is being recruited hard by his "hometown" team the USC Trojans as well.
As for Preston, he would be a tremendous get for Georgia. As the Dawgs look to become more proficient in the passing game under the direction of new Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, Preston would be the prototypical slot receiver. Preston is a chain mover and someone that a quarterback can depend on. With great field awareness and precision in his route running, look for Georgia to make a hard push and for Coach Hankton to try to continue to build the relationship with his fellow Louisiana native.
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