Johns Hopkins quarterback Bay Harvey is now the starter after two years as a backup.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior has led the Blue Jays to a 6-0 start in the Division III ranks behind 23 total touchdowns (20 passing, 3 rushing) and 1,563 passing yards in his first year as a starter, which is especially impressive considering he grew up in Switzerland and played just one season of high school football in the United States.
“He put in a lot of work in the offseason and just really refined his game,” Hopkins head coach Greg Chimera said of Harvey’s growth. “He’s super talented, a good runner and a big guy. He’s growing in terms of seeing the game, having it slow down for him and making checks at the line of scrimmage, all the things you need to be an elite quarterback.”
Harvey saw the field sparingly during his first two years, but he did finish with four touchdown passes in 2022. Now the starter, Harvey is prepared for his leadership role.
“Quarterbacks are always supposed to be the leader of the offense, and I think that is tremendously hard to do as a backup,” Harvey said. “I think for two years, I kind of struggled to find my role there.”
“I think it’s just such a blessing to finally go out there and compete on the field when it matters,” Harvey added. “I think we have a great group of guys, a lot of guys who have had that backup role for a couple of years and were thrust into that starting role.”
Chimera always knew Harvey had it in him to be a leader for the team.
“When he first got here as a first-year, you could just tell he had a different aura about him,” Chimera said. “Nothing fazes him. He’s very cool, calm and collected. He’s like that whether he throws a touchdown or an interception. He acts the same on the sideline.”
Though he is a Swiss citizen, Harvey lived in Rhode Island until he was 3 before moving to Switzerland. He grew up in a small village in Switzerland called Lenk, which is in the Bernese Oberland.
“I was exposed to it a bit while we were still living in the U.S. and played a little flag football,” Harvey said of how he became interested in football. “I just really gravitated toward the sport, so when we moved to Switzerland I was still a Patriots fan and I would always beg my parents to be able to stay up and watch the Patriots game because of the time change.”
Harvey began playing organized football during his eighth-grade year after finding out there was a football club not far from him. Once Harvey finished his junior year in high school in Switzerland, he transferred to Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio because his father knew head football coach Mac Stephens. Harvey described himself as “a deer in headlights” when he first began playing in Ohio. He had to adjust to the different reads necessary in the Cleveland Heights triple-option offense.
“I played in Switzerland, where there’s a lot of passion around the sport, but it’s not the biggest sport around,” Harvey said. “When I played my first high school game it was just moving so fast — way bigger and faster players.”
Harvey also kicked and punted prior to coming to Johns Hopkins in 2021 because he used to play soccer.
“Up until I came to Hopkins, I was doing kicking and punting on every team I played for, which was beneficial for me just to get playing time and provide value, so those are great benefits that I got from playing soccer,” Harvey said.
Harvey led Cleveland Heights to a 9-1 record during his lone season with the Tigers. Chimera knew Stephens, which got the recruitment process rolling.
“And so talking to his head coach, and just kind of learning more about him as a person, obviously got us really interested because you could tell he had a lot of talent,” Chimera said. “But there wasn’t a ton of film just for one season.”
Harvey’s experience in the triple-option offense at Cleveland Heights has helped him succeed as a mobile quarterback for the Blue Jays. Harvey has run for 239 yards in his first 58 attempts this season.
“That probably goes mostly back to the triple option in Cleveland, that’s where I’d say I learned to run with the football,” Harvey said. “I did it a bit in Switzerland, but it wasn’t the same style. … I don’t try to scramble. I don’t try to make crazy plays with my legs, but I’m not afraid to.”
Chimera recalled a play during the Blue Jays’ 55-20 win against Rowan on Oct. 1 when Harvey scrambled for a first down to continue their first drive, which eventually led to a touchdown.
“He scrambles in big-time critical situations,” Chimera said. “He’s a good runner. We don’t want to run him all the time and get him hit. But when we need to make a play and it’s a crucial situation, we’re fine with him pulling the ball down and taking off.”
Harvey hopes to continue to improve week by week, and he believes there’s always something he can do better.
“It’s kind of hard to measure it sometimes because you have different opponents,” Harvey said. “One game plan might be different from another, so your stats won’t always be reflective of how well you played.”
Chimera believes with more time on the field, Harvey will continue to get better.
“Some things come with playing live football,” Chimera said. “In today’s day and age, we’re not hitting live all the time at practice. He went through all camp without getting touched. Then you get into the game and you have 11 guys trying to kill you. It’s a way different feel, so I think part of it is just playing live football.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics
Issue 283: October/November 2023
Originally published Oct. 18, 2023