Maurice Harvey, Ball State (Football)
Maurice Harvey, a two-time All-MAC defensive back, helped Ball State to its first MAC football championship in 1976 and participated in the 1977 East-West Shrine Game before playing six seasons in the National Football League.
A three-year letterman, Harvey was named to the All-MAC First Team following both the 1976 season when the Cardinals claimed the MAC title and posted an 8-3 overall record and the 1977 campaign when Ball State finished third and registered a 9-2 overall mark. He also was a regular in 1975 when the Cardinals tied for third in the first MAC season and an 9-2 overall ledger in their first year of Division I football.
Following his senior year, Harvey also received All-America honorable mention from The Associated Press and was chosen as co-Most Valuable Defensive Player for Ball State after leading the club with seven forced fumbles and five passes broken up in addition to ranking third with nine tackles for loss.
Harvey was selected most inspirational defensive player for Ball State in 1976 when he led the team with 117 tackles as the Cardinals led the MAC and ranked eighth in the nation in scoring defense with an average of 11.3 points per game. As a sophomore, Harvey ranked fifth on the squad in tackles.
After being drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft, Harvey played in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On the Broncos roster for three seasons, Harvey played in 16 games in 1978 and 15 in 1980. He spent the 1979 campaign on injured reserve. He was voted most valuable player on Denver's special teams during his rookie season in 1978 and served as the Broncos special teams captain in 1980.
Acquired by Green Bay in 1981, Harvey started 29 consecutive games, including all 16 games in 1981 when he tied for the team lead with six interceptions and set a club record with an average of 36.2 yards per return. In Green Bay's 35-7 win at New Orleans on Dec. 13, 1981, Harvey set up two touchdowns with interception returns of 53 and 46 yards. He also led the Packer secondary in unassisted tackles in 1981.
Harvey joined the Lions in 1983 and spent the 1984 campaign with Tampa Bay. He rejoined the Lions for the 1987 season.
Born Jan. 14, 1956, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harvey graduated from Princeton High School in 1974. He played in three high school all-star games, including the East-West in Cincinnati, the Ohio North-South and the Ohio-Pennsylvania.
