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Porter Jr follows father's footsteps, drafted by Steelers / Photo: Justin Casterline - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Porter Jr follows father's footsteps, drafted by Steelers
Twenty-four years after drafting his father, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr with the first pick of the second round of the NFL draft on Friday.
Porter's father, also Joey, was a third-round pick in 1999 and went on to have eight seasons in Pittsburgh and was outside linebacker on the Steelers team which won the 2005 Super Bowl.
He later played for the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals in a career which saw him become a four-time Pro Bowler.
Porter Jr, the 32nd pick overall, was drafted out of Penn State.
"He has got a lot of really good attributes, size, length, competitive, tough, really good, I am really glad we were able to get him," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
"We are looking forward to him having an opportunity to help us win games this year," he added.
Austin said Porter's background was primarily an advantage because he was already familiar with the city.
"It's not the people in the building or his Dad, he's basically coming home," he said.
In four seasons with Penn State, three as a starter, Porter generated 114 tackles, 21 passes defended and an interception in 35 games. In 2022, he didn't allow a touchdown and allowed just one play of 15-plus yards.
Porter's former Penn State team-mate, quarterback Will Levis, who was surprisingly overlooked in the first round of the draft was taken with the second pick in the second round by the Tennessee Titans.
Concerns over a toe injury were reportedly behind the reluctance of teams to take Levis higher up in the draft. He is expected to start as understudy to Ryan Tannehill.
(L.Kaufmann--BBZ)
