The Pittsburgh Steelers always felt like the proper landing spot for Joey Porter Jr. He grew up in the Pittsburgh locker room and played high school football in the city, as well as college football in the state of Pennsylvania. He's someone Head Coach Mike Tomlin has gotten to know very well over the years because he's good friends with Tomlin's son, Dino Tomlin. Now that he's officially in training camp, Porter is happy the coaching staff is giving him leeway to just go out and play.
Steph Chambers / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. taking a break during a high school scrimmage in 2018 with North Allegheny.
Porter had only one interception in 34 games spread across four seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions, but that doesn't worry Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin at all. He was still around the ball a lot and finished his senior year in 2022 with the third most passes defended in the Big Ten per Sports Reference College Football site. He's already become more of a ballhawk in training camp.
Joey Porter Jr. picks off Kenny Pickett to end the first 2-min drill of training camp. Nice anticipation and timing by the rookie to jump in front of Cody White for the interception. Believe that’s only the second pick Pickett’s thrown in camp.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 3, 2023
Porter joined former Pittsburgh lineman Craig Wolfley and veteran journalist Mike Prisuta on the Training Camp Wrap-Up on Thursday after practice and explained how he got the interception on Kenny Pickett to end the two-minute drill. He said that part of the reason is because he's been targeted quite a bit, but added his training habits have helped him too.
"I work on that drill basically every day before and after practice. Coming back to the ball, finishing the catch, and toe-tapping," he said. "We were in a Cover 3 situation and it was scramble rules. I saw the guy he [Pickett] was looking down and trusted my instincts."
Porter picked up his first interception of camp on Tuesday during the first day in pads. In that instance, the victim was backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky on a pass intended for receiver Cody White.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers rookie cornerback joined the Training Camp Wrap-Up show from the field at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The biggest storyline so far in camp for the rookie cornerback has been his battles with second-year receiver, George Pickens. Porter said the most major thing for him so far in camp has been the coaches are letting him play.
"They grabbed me for a reason and they let me ball out," said Porter who has spent a noteworthy amount of time with the first team. "Obviously, they coach me on little stuff and techniques I need to get right, but other than that, they let me be me. That’s what I love."
Porter like many first-year players still has a lot of developing to do. Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson said the viral highlight reel catch Pickens made over Porter was an area where he started seeing real growth from the young cornerback.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Notes "Significant" Part Of Porter's Game Needing Work For 2023
Porter is a very physical cornerback and at 6 feet, 2 inches has the length to help him in that. It did cause him some problems in college though, as he picked up 10 penalties in his senior year in 2022. It's an area that Tomlin highlighted during his post-practice media availability when he was asked about Porter.
"He's a line-of-scrimmage corner," he said. "Hand play has been a significant component of his game and that is an adjustment we can’t underestimate."
In the NFL, the "Mel Blount" rule prohibits defensive players from making substantial contact with a receiver beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage. That rule doesn't exist in college with defensive players able to make contact with a pass catcher as long as the ball isn't in the air. Tomlin said this rule is one of the reasons why he thinks that the transition to the pro game can be a difficult process for young corners.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr practices at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as part of the team's minicamp on June 13, 2023.
Tomlin is not too worried about Porter, who he called a "quick learner," but still "very much in the growth process" when it comes to learning what it takes to be a professional football player. Porter will not be short of resources inside and outside of the building to help him in his pursuit of being the best cornerback he can be.
Do you think Porter can be more of a ballhawk in the pro game? Does that matter if he can shut down the other team's top-receiving threats? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
