Joey Porter Jr. grew up watching his dad make big plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But on Saturday night, it was Jr. who came up with a big play with his father in the stands.
Playing in his first NFL game, Porter recorded an interception late in the first half of Pittsburgh's preseason game against visiting Buffalo. He then went to the stands to give the ball to his father, former Steelers outside linebacker Joey Porter.
Proud dad moment ❤️ @JoeyPorterJr pic.twitter.com/7TTkkceiaC
— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2023
Porter Sr. made plenty of big plays during his eight years with the Steelers. One of the league's best pass rushers during his heyday, Porter was also the heart of a Pittsburgh defense that helped the Steelers capture Super Bowl XL. His three sacks during the 2005 postseason helped the Steelers become the first sixth-seed to win the Super Bowl.
While it's way too early to make any bold predictions, the younger Porter's career is off to a good start. Porter, who was selected with the draft pick Pittsburgh acquired from Chicago when it dealt wideout Chase Claypool before last year's deadline, made several notable plays during the first month of training camp from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Porter has stepped up to the challenge of guarding the likes of Diontae Johnson and George Pickens during practice. That experience, based on Saturday's interception, appears to have paid off.
"He is a quick learner," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently said of Porter, via Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan. "He's very much in the growth process in terms of the nuances of the professional game. The cornerback position in particular, it's probably got more of an adjustment from college to pro than any other position in the game because of the differences in the rules in terms of contact beyond five yards. He's doing a really good job of being cognizant of that.
"He's a line of scrimmage corner. Hand play has been a significant component of his game, so that adjustment we cannot underestimate. But I appreciate his efforts in that regard, and he's being productive in the midst of that."
