Joey Porter Jr. Named Joe Greene Performance Award Recipient
It’s the time of year when honors are handed out at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex and that was the case when rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was honored by the Pittsburgh Chapter of Pro Football Writers of America with the Joe Greene Great Performance Award.
The Joe Greene Great Performance Award was established in 1984 and named after the legendary Hall of Famer and presented each year to the Steelers’ top rookie.
Porter, a North Allegheny graduate, is the third Steelers cornerback to win the award, joining Delton Hall, who won it in 1987 and Chad Scott, who won the honor in 1997.
Porter was drafted by the Steelers in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the 32nd overall pick, out of Penn State. Porter made a name for himself with his aggressive style of play for the Nittany Lions. He brought that same aggressive style to the Steelers.
Porter’s playing time gradually grew through the first six games of the season, and by Week 8 he earned a starting role when the team played the Jacksonville Jaguars and never looked back.
“I think about that often,” said Porter. “If I played Week 1, I don’t know how my body would feel right now. I am glad they slowed the process down for me and I am feeling hot right now.
“I am feeling great. It is definitely a long season. Around this time last year, I was getting ready for bowl prep already and hanging out with the family. But we have more games left. With that aspect, it’s mentally and physically draining. But this is what I signed up for. I am not complaining. I get to do what I love to do every day.”
Through 16 games, and with Saturday’s regular season finale against the Ravens still on deck, Porter has 42 tackles, 32 of them solo stops, and one tackle for a loss. He also has 10 passes defensed and one interception, which occurred in the team’s first meeting against the Ravens.
Porter said there are areas he still wants to focus on in his game, while at the same time knowing he has grown as the season has progressed.
“I feel like there are a lot of areas that I need to work on, and I am still working on,” said Porter. “Overall, I have grown as a player. I am happy where I am and there is still work to do.”
(Press release and photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers).