In his 13-year career, former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson has seen and done it all at the NFL level. So, when he speaks regarding a young player at the same position he has played, you tend to listen.
Especially when that young player happens to be Pittsburgh Steelers second-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Appearing on the NFL on FOX podcast with host David Helman, Peterson spoke glowingly of Porter, a young cornerback he got to work with throughout the 2023 season in Pittsburgh.
That work he put in with Porter during his rookie season has Peterson seeing so much of himself in the Steelers’ legacy player.
“Man, Joey, just having an opportunity to spend the season around him, spend the season around him, he reminds me so much of myself. Young, hungry, loves the game and embraces every challenge that comes his way,” Peterson said, according to video via the NFL on FOX YouTube page. “I had the opportunity to watch him grow, have an opportunity to watch his confidence grow week in and week out, and to see a young fella’s confidence grow at the rate that his was growing, the sky’s gonna be the limit for him.
“Every single day, Joey wanted to know who his next challenge was gonna be. And he faced that challenge each and every week. And as a young pup, man. As a young pup, when you see that as an older guy, when you see young pups coming in with that type of hunger, that type of confidence within themselves, you just can’t help but to feed into them.”
While things didn’t end the way he wanted to in Pittsburgh, Peterson can take some solace in the fact that he played a major role in the development of Porter, helping the second-round pick emerge as that true, lockdown No. 1 cornerback for the Steelers.
Obviously, upon entering the league, Porter knew what it took to be a pro considering his father, Joey Porter Sr., had a long, successful career in the NFL. But having that veteran leader like Peterson in the same position room with him was without a doubt a major help in Porter’s transition to the NFL.
The first season was a major success for the Penn State product. Now, he has to keep stacking those good days, weeks, games and seasons to put together the type of career many expect.
Peterson sees a lot of himself in Porter, which is a huge compliment to Porter and his talents and work ethic.
“He kind of remind me of myself. I like what he’s doing; he’s gonna have a bright future,” Peterson added. “Joey is one of those guys. When he walked in the room, I watched him, his mannerism, watched him work each and every day. I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s gonna be a household name, he’s gonna be a good one’ for this DB community for sure.”
That’s high praise from Peterson, but it’s earned, too.
We’ll see if Porter can build off that strong rookie season and become that household name at the cornerback position like Peterson believes.
