Steelers' Mike Tomlin Detailed His First Time Meeting An 8 Year-Old Joey Porter Jr

The Pittsburgh Steelers always seemed like the fairy tale landing spot for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. His father Joey Porter Sr. had a legendary career in Pittsburgh winning a Super Bowl in 2005 and was named to three AP All-Pro teams during his time in the Steel City. Head Coach, Mike Tomlin has known both for a very long time and recently talked about the first time he met Junior. 

Tomlin was on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday and recalled meeting the young man he would eventually have the pleasure of coaching in a Steelers uniform. He said that Porter Jr. was about eight or nine years old the first time that they crossed paths. 

"He and my son were in a national track meet in Sacramento, California and they were in a prelim together," he recalled. "They were in the same heat and me and his old man wanted to bet on the race, as some dads would do." 

Tomlin didn't go into any more detail about the race, so we'll never know which dad came out ahead on their bet. He did say that recounting this tale did give him one big personal reflection: that he's been doing this coaching thing for a long time. Tomlin's tenure in Pittsburgh started the year after Porter Sr. left for the Miami Dolphins. He returned to Pittsburgh in 2014 and joined Tomlin's staff as a defensive assistant under Defensive Coordinator, Dick LeBeau. He was elevated to outside linebackers coach in 2015. 

The Steelers parted with Porter Sr. as a coach following the 2018 season in a decision that Tomlin said, at the time, was a very difficult decision given the contributions that he had made to the franchise as a player and a coach. 

Porter Jr. certainly benefited from the time that his dad spent in Pittsburgh in both official capacities. He was on the field as a little kid when Pittsburgh hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 2006. Then, during his dad's coaching tenure, he got the chance to train going up in one-on-one drills with the Steelers receiving core, which included the great Antonio Brown. Porter Jr. was just a middle school-aged kid in 2016. 

That's the kind of experience that you can only get when your dad is on the coaching staff of an NFL team. Now, Porter Jr. is going up against the likes of George Pickens and Diontae Johnson in practice before he has to face players like Deedo Samuel, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja'Marr Chase.

Steelers' Tomlin Mostly Not Surprised That Porter Jr. Has Made It To The NFL

Eisen asked Tomlin if he was ever shocked to look out on the field to see the 24 jersey with the name Porter on it. He said that, in some of the less busy moments like bumping into him in the cafeteria, he feels a little shocked. 

"In the midst of the work, I don't really think about it," Tomlin said. "He had such a accomplished at Penn State. I’m not surprised that he’s here. When I think about the history of it, and how long I’ve known this kid throughout his life it is pretty funny." 

Tomlin detailed in an earlier interview with Eisen that Porter Jr. and his son Dino have been close friends since middle school and that the two spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the Tomlin house. He said it was really interesting to combine the business and the personal life, but ultimately, he was just happy to land a player that the organization really valued. 

Some analysts are worried about how some of the personal, namely an emotional dad, will affect Porter Jr.'s career in Pittsburgh. Porter Sr. has been around a little bit so far. He rushed down from the nosebleeds to come to congratulate his son on his first professional interception against the Buffalo Bills.

Porter Jr. will inevitably get instruction from his father on the game, but that line between coach and dad seems to be pretty clear so far. Now, for Porter Jr., the next step is proving he belongs when the games start to matter. 

What did you think of Tomlin's first meeting with Porter Jr.? Are you worried about Porter Sr. being a problem in any way? Comment below!

#SteelerNation