Playing in the NFL is hard. Playing in the AFC North, arguably the best division in football, is even harder. But early on in his career, this has not phased Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. who not only is thriving so far on the season but also is very comfortable in AFC North-style football thanks to playing his college ball in the Big Ten.
Porter was on the Jim Rome Show this week and was asked about moving from the Big Ten to the AFC North.
“I mean, it’s great,” Porter said. “I went to Penn State, so the Big Ten on my side is kind of hectic like this. We got us Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, so it’s always great competition when we see each other. It’s similar here, blue nose football, smash mouth, you know, just like that. That’s the football we play here. So it’s nothing new in that aspect.”
Just like the Big Ten, the AFC North is full of cold-weather football which has teams built on stifling defenses and serious rivalries. Porter is no secret to the rivalries of the AFC North thanks to his father, Joey Porter Sr. being the main character for years in each battle. But for Porter Jr., you have to experience this football before you really can understand it, and he got to experience it in college.
Porter’s experience in big games and weighty moments has helped him almost seamlessly transition to the NFL. Battles with the likes of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave of Ohio State readied Porter Jr. for big-time plays against Odell Beckham Jr. of the Baltimore Ravens and against the Cleveland Browns to help Pittsburgh win two huge divisional matchups.
Overall this season, Porter has been so good that he has even been allowed to shadow number one wide receivers such as Tennessee Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins which he did very well, basically eliminating him from the game in the second half.
There is still a long way to go, not only in this season but also in Porter Jr.’s career. But the battles he fought in the Big Ten have readied him for the wars of the AFC North. There are still four more divisional battles for Porter Jr. to fight in this season, but he seems ready and could play a pivotal role if he continues to ask to shut down number one receivers.
