It’s been a whirlwind four months for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. From falling out of the first round in the 2023 NFL Draft, to the storybook reunion with the Black and Gold, playing for the same team his father once starred for, to making an interception in his NFL debut in the preseason.
On top of all that, Porter has had to get up to speed in a new scheme in Pittsburgh with new faces around him after being a standout cornerback over the last two seasons at Penn State. He did all that, hitting the ground running, working his way into a key depth role for the Steelers early on in the 2023 season.
Speaking to reporters Friday from inside locker room of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Porter stated that the learning curve from college to the NFL has been great for him to this point, and the feels he’s come a long way in the last few months.
“Coming out of college, you think you know everything, but you really don’t until you get out there with the other guys,” Porter said, according to video via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski. “The learning curve has been great for me. I’ve been picking up on everything that I need to do, and now it’s about being steady and keep working.”
Coming out of college, Porter was viewed as that ready-made physical cornerback, one who could step in right away as a press-coverage guy. That largely stood up in training camp and the preseason as Porter had a strong showing throughout both. He put in a ton of work on his hands, too, and had an interception against the Buffalo Bills along with a handful of interceptions in training camp.
Porter has great confidence in his abilities entering his first season in the NFL. He knows he’s come a long way since joining the Steelers. So, too, does head coach Mike Tomlin and veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, both of whom praised the rookie defensive back in recent days.
Though he’s not technically a starter for the Black and Gold just yet, he’s going to contribute right away in Pittsburgh. That’s a credit to how far he’s come and how quickly he’s hit the ground running on and off the field in his hometown.
