The Pittsburgh Steelers added another coach to their staff on Tuesday as former linebacker Joey Porter has been hired to be a defensive assistant.
“We are excited about having Joey back with the Steelers’ family,” said head coach Mike Tomlin in a statement. “Joey spent a number of years with Pittsburgh as a player, and now he’s back to assist the coaching staff. We look forward to his efforts and contributions.”
Porter was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft out of Colorado State. For his career, Porter registered 98 sacks, 721 tackles (552 solo), 25 forced fumbles, 12 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries, three touchdowns and one safety. After his time was up in Pittsburgh, Porter went on to play for the Miami Dolphins (2007-09) and the Arizona Cardinals (2010-11)
Porter had previously coached as an intern at his alma mater after retiring from the NFL in 2012 and certainly will be a welcome addition to the Steelers staff. His hiring now means that three former Steelers players are on the staff as Carnell Lake and Jerry Olsavsky also played in Pittsburgh.
