In the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers made Pennsylvania State University cornerback Joey Porter Jr. the No. 32 pick.
It’s a touching story, as his father, Joey Porter, was taken by the Steelers in the third round of the 1999 draft and played eight seasons with the team while winning a Super Bowl championship with them in 2005.
The younger Porter was expected by some to be a first-round pick, but instead, he slipped to the beginning of the second round.
Cameras caught his father giving him a pep talk while telling him to take it personally that he wasn’t drafted higher.
“Take it personal.”@joeyporterjr got a much-needed pep talk from dad after getting passed on in round one 😤 @Steelers
📺: Season Finale of #HeyRookie airs tonight 9pm ET on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/kTvoxq8dvU
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) May 2, 2023
The elder Porter was a 6-foot-3, 248-pound outside linebacker who made the Pro Bowl four times and the All-Pro first team once in his 13-year NFL career.
This gives the younger Porter an advantage, as he has a father who was an NFL star who can not only coach him but also mentor him when it comes to the intangibles and what to expect as far as the lifestyle and the off-the-field challenges that could come up.
The younger Porter will look to improve a pass defense that ranked just 19th in passing yards allowed and 28th in passing touchdowns given up, and he will be supported by Pro Bowlers T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
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