Patrick Peterson opens up about how he's been mentoring Steelers rookie Joey Porter Jr.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has impressed both the organization and fellow position-mate Patrick Peterson since being selected in the second-round of April’s NFL Draft.
Joining “Inside Training Camp Live” Tuesday, Peterson described Porter Jr. as a “sponge.”
“Joey is just a sponge. Joey loves the game… wants to be a guy that’s recognized in this game,” Peterson told Colleen Wolfe and Brian Baldinger of NFL Network. “He’s asking me questions each and every day. You guys are gonna see today when we have downtime. He’s asking me how he can get better with his technique. Like I told him when we first got here: He’s the future. At some point, you’re going to be out there on the field and you’re going to have to take the bull by the horns. And not only take the bull by the horns, but be able to help the other guys come along as well.”
Porter Jr. attended the first-round of the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City expecting to hear his name called.
Porter Jr.’s name never got called.
31 names came off the board during the first-round. None were Porter Jr. — one of four players left stranded in the Green Room. In hindsight, a Draft Day slide ended up being a blessing, as the Penn State product found himself on the same team his father, Joey Porter Sr., became a star linebacker for.
It also led him to a secondary room which includes a veteran like Peterson, who is going about things with Porter Jr. the “Steeler way.”
Patrick Peterson mentoring Joey Porter Jr.
“No doubt about it and that’s the Steeler way,” Peterson said of being a mentor. “For me, being the people person that I am, I just fell right into it. I want to see the next generation be successful. I want to see the guy behind me become better as well because you never know when we might need him.”
With training camp in full effect and pads coming on, Porter Jr. is excited to show off his physicality.
“I am really excited,” Porter Jr. said. “That is how you show your physicality and that is what the Steelers bring. I am excited to show what I can bring to the table. I am waiting for that moment to show the guys what I can bring to the table. That I can hang with everybody on the field. That I belong. Everything starts when we put the pads on.”