Get To Know Steelers’ NFL Draft Pick Joey Porter Jr & His Family

The NFL is also bringing the most recent example of a successful football family through the 2023 NFL Draft: the relationship between father and son. Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State was regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in his class. To begin the second round on Friday, he was selected by the Steelers. His NFL arrival, though, does little more than carry on a heritage.

In the northern suburbs, Porter was at his parents’ house watching the draft. All day long, he had been hearing rumors that the Steelers were taking calls for the No. 32 selection. After the Steelers passed on him on Thursday night, he believed that his chances of joining the team were lost.

Then, shortly after 7 o’clock, his phone displayed a well-known area code.

“I was not expecting this,” he said. “After last night, I was like, ‘Anything can happen in this draft.’ When the clock was winding down, I was like, ‘Dang, they might not get me.’ Then I saw that 412 number pop up and I was like, ‘I’m coming home.’ ”

Porter Jr. had 113 tackles in 86 games over his four seasons at Penn State. He served as a full-time starter for his final two seasons and was named to the first team of the Big Ten in 2022.

Porter Jr’s Father

Joey Porter, his father, helped establish Pittsburgh’s championship-winning defence from 1999 through 2006 as a five-time All-Pro linebacker for the Steelers, Dolphins, and Cardinals.

Joey Porter Sr., the father of Porter Jr., was a linebacker for the NFL for 13 years. He was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1999 NFL Draft and played for them for eight seasons, winning the Super Bowl in 2006 and being named to four Pro Bowls.

Prior to his retirement in June 2012, Porter Sr. played for two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals after a three-year career with the Miami Dolphins. In 171 starts over the course of his NFL career, he recorded 98 sacks, 12 interceptions, 25 forced fumbles, and 124 tackles for loss.

Porter Sr. was on the Steelers coaching staff for five seasons under Mike Tomlin after his playing days. From 2015 to 2018, I coached outside linebackers for four years. He currently works as a linebackers coach for XFL side San Antonio Brahmas.

Before the draft, Joey Porter Sr., the father of Porter Jr., spoke with ESPN. Porter Sr. had emphasized how wonderful it would be if the Steelers selected his son.

“You talk about legacies and a son not only making it, but playing for the same franchise — that in itself would be amazing,” said Joey Porter Sr.

“You couldn’t write this stuff in a storybook. It would be amazing to see if something like that happened,” he added.

Porter Jr’s Siblings

Porter Jr. has four siblings, including two brothers, Willie and Jacob, and two sisters, Jasmine and Jayla.

The youngest kid, Jacob, is a football player with the Temple Owls.

Jasmine’s mother, Christy, decided to start a facility for kids with special needs after learning of her daughter’s severe autism at birth. In honor of her daughter, Christy gave the organization the name Jasmine Nyree Center.

The Jasmine Nyree Campus was established by the Porter family in Pittsburgh in 2021 to give special needs individuals a place to live happy lives with the support they require.

Porter has remained in Pennsylvania due to his connections to the Pittsburgh region. Prior to attending Penn State, he attended two high schools in western Pennsylvania, graduating from North Allegheny Senior High School.

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