Former Lowndes, Georgia Standout now a Louisville Cardinal, and Glad of It.

LOUISVILLE — Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons has only one goal in mind for the upcoming season.

It has nothing to do with tackles, sacks or interceptions. What he wants to do most of all is play in every single game.

Sounds simple enough, but given his past, you understand why.

Before he arrived at Louisville, Harvey-Clemons ran into his share of trouble at Georgia, serving multiple suspensions over the 2013 season for team rules violations. In February 2014, he was dismissed from the team.

Louisville ended up appealing to him the most because the Cards had hired Todd Grantham as defensive coordinator. Grantham recruited Harvey-Clemons to Georgia and coached him for two seasons. He was somebody Harvey-Clemons could trust.

So for the last year, Harvey-Clemons has waited patiently for his shot to play again. While he sat out 2014 because of NCAA transfer rules, he worked on growing as both a player and a person. Since arriving at Louisville last year, Grantham says Harvey-Clemons has stayed out of trouble.

“It’s been a growing year for me,” Harvey-Clemons said in a recent phone interview. “I’ve been getting to know my teammates and getting to know the defense a lot better. I’m just excited for the opportunity to be back out on the field.”

What has he learned the most about himself?

“I’d probably say I learned it’s not all about me,” he said. “Everything’s bigger than me. It’s about the team.”

Harvey-Clemons figures to have a prominent role on a defense that must replace its entire secondary, one that created many big plays with its aggressive approach. He is expected to start at strong safety in place of James Sample, with an opportunity to play linebacker in the nickel package.

It is the same spot he played at Georgia, so there is plenty of familiarity. In his final season with the Bulldogs, Harvey-Clemons had 66 tackles, one interception and three fumble recoveries.

“Any time you have a guy with his size and length and his athletic ability, he can affect the game both in his ability to rush and his ability to cover,” Grantham said. “He can be a playmaker for us. We’re going to put him in that role and see what he can do.”

Beyond that, Grantham has been impressed with the way Harvey-Clemons has grown up.

“I have no trouble standing up for him because I do believe he’s a solid kid,” Grantham said. “I think as you move forward in life, you’ve got to learn from your mistakes, and I think sometimes you’ve got to give kids a second chance, and I think he’s earned the right for that chance and what he’s done so far. I never had any issues with him when I was at Georgia from the accountability for meetings or practice or anything like that, but at the same time, you do have to go through a maturity phase as far as understanding the decisions you make, there’s consequences for them. He’s really matured, and I’ve been very proud of that. I’m really excited for him to play this year and get back on the field.”

The same goes for Harvey-Clemons.

ESPN