The jump from college to the pros is a huge one, especially for a cornerback. Pittsburgh Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. is going through that jump now in training camp, and to attack it, he is focusing on mastering the basics.
Porter was interviewed after practice today and was asked what he is focusing on with the Steelers playing their second preseason game on Saturday.
“Really just all the fundamental stuff I’ve been working on since I got here,” said Porter in his interview posted to Steelers.com. “Catching the ball, working on my press technique, off man and everything like that. Really understanding the plays and route recognition, that stuff.”
Although Porter was a very good player at Penn State, he still has a lot to work on, and to his credit he is. A couple of Porter’s weaknesses coming out of college were his ball skills and the fact that he was a bit grabby. Every day Porter is working on his hands at the JUGS machine catching passes and he is working on making sure he stops being so grabby after five yards.
As a rookie, Porter isn’t expected to be an elite cornerback right away and there will be growing pains. He won’t have an arsenal of moves like his veteran teammate CB Patrick Peterson; that is something he will learn over time. And, even if he is taught it now, what is more important is that Porter gets the basics down. Being extremely good at the basics is what makes someone a good corner; he needs to be a good cornerback before he can be an elite one.
The ceiling for Porter is very high, and with his unusually long arms (34 inches) he can make play that others can’t. He has been blessed with attributes you can’t teach, but now he has to master those attributes that you can, such as play recognition, press coverage technique, and the ability to catch a ball.
If Porter can continuously work on and master these fundamentals, then he can start learning more veteran moves from Peterson and CB Levi Wallace. He’s not there yet, and while it may be tempting to learn that right away, Porter has the right mindset on mastering the fastball before learning the curve.
