When Pittsburgh Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. has been on the field, he’s been an impact player. He had a game-changing interception to help the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week Five, and he’s allowed a passer rating of 0.0 when targeted this season. One reason for that is the mentors he has in Pittsburgh’s secondary. While veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson has been the main guy that’s been talked about when it comes to taking Porter under his wing, defensive backs coach Grady Brown said there are a lot of guys in Pittsburgh’s secondary for Porter Jr. to learn from.
“Joey’s in a great situation. I mean, not just Pat, Levi’s 28 years old, he’s played a lot of football, Minkah [Fitzpatrick], I think is like 26, he’s played a lot of football. [Damontae] Kazee has played a lot of football. I don’t think Joey could be in a better situation than what he’s in,” Brown said via video posted to Steelers.com. “He has a bunch of really just big brothers to raise him and show him how to conduct himself in meetings and show him how to take care of his body. It’s just a great situation for him.”
While it’s fair to question the performances this season of guys like Levi Wallace and Peterson this season, what’s not up for debate is how they are as leaders and men off the field. Both are high-character guys who, as Brown said, have played a lot of football and know how to conduct themselves as professionals and leaders. That carries over to Porter, and they can take him under their wing and show him how to be a football player on and off the field.
That’s important to have in a locker room, and the Steelers have always done a good job of bringing in guys who can lead with their play and with their actions. They’ve struggled to find successful cornerbacks in the draft in recent history, but Porter’s play so far provides hope that can change. Surrounding him with cornerbacks who are willing to mentor him and teach him what it means to be a professional football player is important.
That leadership isn’t just limited to cornerbacks, as Brown also mentioned safeties Fitzpatrick and Kazee as guys who have been good leaders for Porter. Even across position groups from the secondary to other positions on defense, I’m sure seeing how players such as Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith conduct themselves is beneficial to Porter. Those are players who have been among the best in their position and always carry themselves the right way, and seeing how guys who are that talented act surely rubs off on Porter.
It also doesn’t hurt that Porter has NFL bloodlines, with his dad being a core member of the Steelers defense from 1999-2006 and playing in the NFL until 2011. Obviously, if the younger Porter has anywhere near the career his dad had, he’ll look like a great pick at No. 32 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
But to have his teammates and brothers on the field help mentor him and show him the ropes is supremely important as well, and the Steelers have done a good job putting people around Porter who can help him become the best player he can be in the locker room and on the field. Hopefully, his early career success carries over and he can be an anchor at the cornerback position for Pittsburgh for years to come.
