Walking into the NFL as a rookie from college, the transition can be a difficult one, even for the most talented players.
At the cornerback position, the transition can be especially difficult given the rules of the game at the NFL level as well as the caliber of receivers that cornerbacks face in the pros compared to college. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has acknowledged as much, calling the transition much harder for defensive backs relative to most positions.
However, Tomlin did praise rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. for being a fast learner during training camp, stating that he’s picking up on the nuances of the professional game compared to when he played in college. Porter was asked by the media what area of his game he believes has improved the most since the start of training camp, and he agreed that his mental recognition of the game has drastically improved from when he first arrived in Pittsburgh thanks to the help of several key veterans in the secondary.
“I’d just say my mental game is on a whole another level, especially working with Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson, Minkah [Fitzpatrick], all those great guys I have in my room,” Porter said told the media Tuesday via video from Steelers.com. “They really helped me through this whole thing, trying to understand the schemes of things and how they want this defense run. And I feel like without them, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
While Porter can thank the likes of Peterson and Wallace as well as Fitzpatrick for helping him improve the mental part of his game, Porter did a great job taking initiative. He has been tied to Peterson’s hip ever since he was drafted by the Steelers, constantly asking him questions as well as getting personal work with him away from the drills. Fitzpatrick has also worked a fair amount with Porter, teaching how to use his superior length to his advantage to beat receivers at the catch point of the football.
Porter missed the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but came back in a big way last Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, picking off a pass that he promptly gave to his father, Joey Porter Sr., in the stands. With one more preseason game to go, Porter Jr. looks to continue to display his improved physical skills as well as his enhanced mental game before the bullets become live Week One against San Francisco.
