Joey Porter Jr. Chosen By Pittsburgh Steelers In NFL Draft
Former North Allegheny football standout and junior defensive back at Penn State University, Joey Porter Jr., was selected in the second round of the National Football League (NFL) draft on Friday night by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Porter was the 32nd selection overall, becoming the first Tiger ever taken in the second round of the NFL draft.
Porter becomes the seventh North Allegheny football player picked in the NFL draft and first since Mike McMahon was selected in the fifth round of the 2001 draft by the Detroit Lions. Prior to Porter, Tim Manoa (1987 – Cleveland ) and Brian Baschnagel (1976 – Chicago) were the highest selected North Allegheny football players in the NFL draft, both selected in the third round. For a look at every North Allegheny graduate to play in an NFL regular season game, see table at bottom of article.
Porter, a redshirt junior at Penn State, set the school single-game record for pass breakups this past season with six against Purdue. The six breakups tied a then-Big Ten record for a single game with Michigan’s Jourdan Lewis (vs. Michigan State, 2015) and Minnesota’s Michael Carter (vs. Purdue, 2012).
Porter during National Signing Day on Dec. 19, 2018 with his mom, Chrissy, his dad, Joey, and North Allegheny head coach Art Walker.
Porter started 10 games at cornerback during the 2022 season and was named All-America second team by the AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation and CBS Sports. He was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media, tabbed first-team AP All-Big Ten, named Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten second team and earned the Penn State’s Most Valuable Defensive Player.
At North Allegheny, Porter was one of the top corners in the WPIAL and was selected to the Trib 25 All-Star Team, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22, and named first-team all-conference by the Big 56 Conference, among other accolades.
Providing blanket coverage in the secondary, Porter corralled three interceptions during the 2018 season after posting a seven-interception performance as a junior in 2017. A skilled kick returner and receiver, Porter was second on the team in receiving yards (186) and hauled in three touchdown passes during the 2018 season.
(College stats, information courtesy of Penn State Athletics).
History of Tigers in the NFL & NFL Draft
| Player | Year | Round | Position | Team | NFL Tenure | College Attended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Porter Jr. | 2023 | 2 | CB | Pittsburgh | 2023- | Penn State |
| Thomas Keiser | 2011 | FA | DE | Carolina | 2011-2014 | Stanford |
| Mike McMahon | 2001 | 5 | QB | Detroit | 2001-2005 | Rutgers |
| Tim Manoa | 1987 | 3 | RB | Cleveland | 1987-1991 | Penn State |
| Bob Riley | 1987 | 10 | T | Minnesota | 1987 | Indiana |
| Gregg Garrity | 1983 | 5 | WR | Pittsburgh | 1983-1989 | Penn State |
| Brian Baschnagel | 1976 | 3 | WR* | Chicago | 1976-1984 | Ohio State |
| Chris Devlin | 1975 | 7 | LB | Cincinnati | 1975-1978 | Penn State |
-Team listed is NFL team that player was originally drafted/signed by and does not include all teams played for during NFL career.
*played in the NFL as a WR. Was a RB at North Allegheny and Ohio State.
