The idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. with the first pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft seemed like a no-brainer. He was a first-round talent that fell out of the top 31 picks and his ties to the city of Pittsburgh were impossible to ignore. Sure enough, the organization was on the clock to start day two and instead of trading the 32nd overall pick like many fans wanted them to, the team stayed put and turned Porter Jr.'s dream into a reality.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) participates in Steelers rookie minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Friday, May 12, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
There have been some great stories told about the defensive back and his familiarity with the Steelers' facilities. He was around professional football for his entire childhood and into his teenage years. His father played in Pittsburgh from 1999-2006, but then came back as a coach from 2014-2018. His son had spent plenty of time around some great football players.
Steelers Welcomed A Younger Porter Jr. To Compete In Practice
Former Steelers' wide receiver and seventh-round draft pick, Demarcus Ayers joined our Kaleb Everhart live on Twitter Friday evening and the two spoke about a number of different topics. The former pass-catcher took a trip down memory lane and recalled Porter Jr. hanging around the team in 2016 during Ayers' rookie season. As a young high school athlete, Porter Jr. and Head Coach, Mike Tomlin's son, Dino, would be going up against the league's best receiver at the time, among others, in practice.
"It's crazy bro. When I was in Pittsburgh, right? Crazy story. When I was in Pittsburgh as a rookie, Dino [Tomlin] and JP Jr., they were like in middle school probably. They used to be in practice and do one-on-ones with me, AB [Antonio Brown], [Markus] Wheaton and all those other guys."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Antonio Brown (#84) celebrates at Heinz Field after a big play. | Philip G. Pavely / USA TODAY Sports
Connecting the dots, it was most certainly high school as Ayers was drafted in 2016 and Porter Jr. was born in 2000. Ayers implied that it's pretty surreal to see where the two have ended up today as Dino played for the University of Maryland and Boston College while Porter Jr. is slotted to be a starting cornerback for the Steelers in 2023.
"It's super crazy to see the progress of like... I wanna say he was playing something like linebacker at the time. It's just cool to see those two kids [now]."
Although Ayers is roughly just six years older than Porter Jr., he referred to him and Dino as 'kids' while he continued to express shock about where they have ended up in 2023.
"I never would have thought those two kids would be where they are right now."
Steelers former wide receiver, Demarcus Ayers (#15) runs with the football during his lone season in Pittsburgh. | Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports
Ayers went into a little more detail regarding Porter Jr. and spoke a little bit about how everything came full circle for him and his entire family.
"I know that's gotta be special to get drafted by the same team his dad played for, coached for. It's gotta be a special moment for that family."
It's pretty encouraging and cool to know that the Steelers' new cornerback has been on the same field as and went up against one of the game's most talented wide receivers of all-time. Guys like Ayers and Wheaton aren't guys to scoff at either. Ayers never confirmed they would or wouldn't take it easy on the younger kids, but it still must have been an immeasurable experience. Porter Jr. was comfortable going one-on-one with NFL receivers back in high school, so it won't come as anything new as he begins his own NFL career.
Do you think any experience Porter Jr. got back in high school at the Steelers' practice facility helped shape him into the player he is today? Let us know in the comments below!
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