Colin Holba & Josh Harvey Clemons Both Selected in the 2017 NFL Draft

Mark BlankenbakerApril 30, 2017

University of Louisville long snapper Colin Holba and safety Josh Harvey-Clemsons were selected in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively, of the 2017 NFL Draft on Saturday evening.

Holba went to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 213th overall pick in the sixth round, while Harvey-Clemons was the 230th overall selection in the seventh round by the Washington Redskins.

It is the fourth-straight year the Cardinals had a player selected in the draft, and the 23rd drafted since 2009.
Holba is the ninth Louisville player drafted by the Steelers, and the first since safety Gerod Holliman was picked in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. Holba will join former teammates Eli Rogers and Roy Philon in Pittsburgh and former UofL cornerback William Gay, a 2007 draft pick of the Steelers.

Harvey-Clemons is fourth Louisville player picked by Washington, and the first since 2005 when linebacker Robert McCune was a fifth-round selection. Washington head coach Jay Gruden, a 1988 graduate of Louisville, was a former standout quarterback for the Cardinals.
“I’m very excited for both Colin and Josh to hear their names called in the NFL Draft,” head coach Bobby Petrino said. “Colin was an extremely valuable and reliable long snapper for us over the last two seasons. Josh was a big-play performer for us in the secondary the last two seasons. I wish both players the best of luck as they pursue their careers in the NFL.”

A Louisville, Ky., native, Holba joined the Cardinals as a walk-on after a try-out in 2013. He was awarded a scholarship in August of 2015 before serving the last two seasons the starting long snapper.

A product of Eastern High School, Holba, who was invited to the Senior Bowl last January, appeared in 26 games and had over 250 plays without an errant snap.

“My agent told me to pay attention in the sixth round because that’s when specialists typically go in the draft,” Holba said. “I started watching about halfway through the sixth round, and then I saw the Pittsburgh area code pop up on my phone, which made me tear up.”
“It was craziness when I received the phone call,” Holba said. “I grew up a Steelers fan and couldn’t ask for a better draft day.”
A transfer from Georgia, Harvey-Clemons was a two-year starter for the Cardinals, finishing his career with 149 total tackles and three interceptions.

A second-team all-ACC selection last season, Harvey-Clemons posted 61 tackles and two sacks during his senior season. He posted a season-best 11 tackles in consecutive games versus Marshall and Clemson.

In 2015, Harvey-Clemons was third on the team with a career-high 88 tackles and tied for second on the team with three interceptions, including two in the season opener versus Auburn.