Getting shown up by a teammate not only in practice, but on social media as well can be difficult to process and keep one’s cool.
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was able to do that Tuesday after second-year receiver George Pickens leaped high over him and hauled in a wild one-handed catch in a one-on-one drill at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
That catch set social media ablaze as Pickens again went viral for his absurd body control and hands catching the pigskin, but for veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, Porter showed something in that moment.
Speaking with cousin and former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden on Chuck Noll Field after Thursday’s practice for the latest episode of the All Things Covered podcast, Peterson focused on Porter in the moment of that viral catch, praising the young cornerback for keeping his cool and using the moment as an opportunity to learn.
“I saw growth from Joey again, because when you see a guy make the catch, and it was a spectacular catch — an unbelievable catch. But when you get the ball and you put it in the DB’s face, that’s a fight waiting to happen. But you know what? The young fellow did very well,” Peterson said regarding Porter’s actions, according to video via the All Things Covered YouTube page. “He kept his cool, he took the coaching points from coach Grady Brown and he did not retaliate.”
It was a spectacular catch, and it went viral rather quickly. Pickens was obviously fired up and rightfully so, making a spectacular catch through contact on coverage that he called “perfect” after the fact. But in that moment, Pickens was fired up and let Porter know what he had just done to him.
In competition, that happens. Pickens would have gotten 15 yards for taunting, and Porter would have gotten 15 yards as well for throwing the football back at Pickens after he shoved it in his face, but it ended there. As Peterson said, that’s typically a moment that sets off a fight. Fortunately, it didn’t escalate to that.
Porter showed great composure after throwing the football back at Pickens, taking the coaching points from Brown after the play, and then rebounding from the play overall to had a strong day.
Since that moment, Pickens has generated a ton of national attention, but rather quietly Porter has put together some fantastic days overall. Looking like a true top cornerback for the Steelers moving forward, he closed Thursday’s practice in impressive fashion by picking off Kenny Pickett in the two-minute drill, earning praise from head coach Mike Tomlin.
When it’s a one-on-one matchup against elite-level talent in the NFL, you’re going to win some and lose some. That’s happening each and every day in Latrobe. Porter knows it and has the right mentality for the position, utilizing the one play at a time thought process. It’s helping him succeed in his first training camp, and it’s catching the eye of Peterson, who has taken him under his wing.
There’s a real maturity level with Porter that’s continuously on display. He’s a fiery competitor, but he knows when to rein it in and continues to improve each and every day in camp. Real growth is the key. Peterson is seeing it, and so are the Steelers.
The arrow is certainly pointing up for Porter.
