Gerald Alexander watched the Steelers draft Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. in 2023; he sees how they’ve grown. Back in Pittsburgh following a one-year “internship” with the Raiders, he’s “extremely excited” to continue their development.
Although this is a pivotal season for Porter, it is no less so for Trice, as well. Both are going into their third season, after which is their contract year. While Porter is playing for his legacy and a big, fat contract, Trice is playing for a job. Alexander understands where Porter and Trice are in their careers, respectively. He also understands where they’ve come from and where they want to go. It’s his job to help them get there.
“Obviously, I saw these guys as pups and got a chance to observe what their progression was as I departed to go to my little internship in Vegas”, Gerald Alexander said of returning to the Steelers to work with Joey Porter and Cory Trice, via video from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s YouTube channel. “Just to come back and help them in their career where they are and continue to build and develop them at this stage, it’s a very exciting opportunity that I’m grateful for”.
When the Steelers drafted Porter and Trice, Alexander was a Steelers coaching assistant defensive backs coach. At the time, he served under Grady Brown. But the Steelers did not renew Brown’s contract, and they brought Alexander back to take over. Hence why he jokingly referred to his year in between with the Raiders an internship, acting as safeties coach.
The Steelers hired Gerald Alexander in 2022, drafting Porter and Trice in 2023. They only had the young cornerbacks’ rookie season together, but they have had time to catch up. Alexander’s history of playing in the league also helps, even if he played safety.
But perhaps it helps that, like Alexander, Porter and Trice are both big defensive backs. Alexander is 6-2 and weighed over 200 pounds. Porter and Trice are both 6-2 or taller. The former is a little lighter, but Trice is comfortably over 200 pounds and building.
Having already worked with Porter and Trice, Alexander knows where to start back up. “Those are the things that we’re looking forward to as far as building their technical, their fundamental things, and, obviously, their football intellect as they’re out there on the field”, he said.
For Joey Porter, the biggest issue in his career has been his grabbiness, perhaps extending from a lack of confidence. That’s one of the reasons Alexander wants to hone his fundamentals, giving him something to lean on. As for Cory Trice, there’s not a lot Alexander can do about his injury history. But his time lost on the practice field only makes the fundamentals all the more important. Looking quicker and faster while also being bigger won’t hurt his cause.
