Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Says Patrick Peterson 'Took Me Under His Wing'

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is soaking up every bit of knowledge he can get from eight-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson ahead of his first season in the NFL.

"He has been great," Porter said of Peterson, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. "He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. I am glad to have him on my squad. Without him, I wouldn't be able to learn so much about the game so fast like I am right now.

"The first two days were kind of tough, getting the hang of it, the speed, the pace. Just knowing the defense. Now it's really good. I know what I am doing more, communicating more, so it's been great."

Peterson is entering his 13th NFL season. He spent 10 years with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Minnesota Vikings for the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

In addition to being an eight-time Pro Bowler, the 32-year-old is a three-time All-Pro. He's still competing at a high level, too, having posted five interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 66 tackles in 17 games last season.

While Peterson has been a great resource for Porter, he has never had difficulty getting advice about what the NFL is like.

Porter's father, Joey Porter Sr., spent 13 seasons in the NFL, including eight years with the Steelers, who selected him in the third round of the 1999 draft out of Colorado State. Being around his father and other longtime NFLers was a huge plus for his development.

Porter was expected to be taken in the first round of the 2023 draft, but after he fell to the Steelers in the second round, his father had a simple message for him: Prove the doubters wrong.

"There's nothing like motivation, right? They want to see a pissed-off football player. Now they got one," Porter Sr. said. "... Now you've been motivated to another level because we've got something to prove. Take it personal."

Porter spent four seasons at Penn State and put together a solid senior season, posting 11 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and 27 tackles in 10 games during the 2022 season.

The 22-year-old is now expected to line up alongside Peterson as one of Pittsburgh's starting cornerbacks in 2023. Given his NFL roots and experience, big things can be expected from the young defender.