Don’t expect CB Joey Porter Jr. to become a breakout TV star on Hard Knocks this year, the program in which the NFL bamboozled the Pittsburgh Steelers into participation. While he told Chris Adamski he would claim some screen time for the sake of his family, it’s not really his thing. He likes to do his talking between the white lines while the clock is running.
“I’d rather stay in the shadows, but I know how my mama and my family feel”, Porter told Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about his planned participation in the Steelers segments of Hard Knocks. The NFL has inaugurated an in-season edition of the long-running television program focusing on an entire division.
“They want me on the camera, just to post on it. I’m going to get some screen time here and there, just to please the (family), but I really don’t care too much about being on it”, Porter continued. “On game day, that’s where I want my screen time to be”.
Porter is the son of Joey Porter Sr., the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and foghorn. His father is certainly one of the great trash talkers of his era. While he admits some of Dad has rubbed off on him, the younger Porter is a bit more restrained. Surprisingly, he was recently referred to as the quiet one in the secondary, which says more about how loud the rest is than how quiet he is.
The first episode of the AFC North Hard Knocks will air on the first Tuesday after the Steelers’ next game. The show’s film crew was already set up weeks ago. For the most part, the players don’t seem too fazed by it—some even like it. But Broderick Jones told Adamski that Mike Tomlin had already laid down the ground rules for handling the show.
Last week, Tomlin described the presence of Hard Knocks as “something to conquer”. He wants to ensure that the Steelers handle the distraction better than the Ravens, Bengals, and Browns. Considering they are in the midst of an AFC North gauntlet—entirely coincidental, no doubt—the timing couldn’t be better. Or worse, depending on your perspective.
For Joey Porter Jr., though, it’s all about showing up and going about the business of winning games. Overall, Porter is having a fine season, minus the usual penalty flare-ups. He has his customary one interception, but he has protected the goal line, which is what the Steelers want.
Then again, once guys see themselves on TV, you don’t know how they’ll react. Maybe Porter will decide that he does enjoy it after all and he’ll start more actively participating. While I’m not a big fan of the show generally, it will be interesting to see which Steelers—players, coaches, and otherwise—become the personalities.
