Joey Porter Jr. Wins Day at Steelers Training Camp
LATROBE -- Joey Porter Jr. capped day seven of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp with the play of the day.
With the clock winding down and the Steelers offense having moved inside the 30-yard line, Porter snuffed out the first team's attempt at a drill-winning score. He dove to intercept Kenny Pickett's pass along the sideline, snuffed out the rally and notched one in the win column for himself after a rough week.
"Joey won today," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said to George Pickens. "That wasn't on me," Pickens replied. "Yeah, but that was significant," Tomlin said back.
Tomlin has routinely singled out Pickens and Porter for battles in training camp against one another. Whether it's one-on-one or team drills, Tomlin has been eager to throw Porter into the fire against a physical budding star at wideout. Why?
"They're highly competitive young people trying to get better," Tomlin said.
Pickens has gotten the better of the rookie Porter routinely throughout camp so far. On the first day the Steelers practiced in pads, Pickens beat perfect coverage from Porter along the sideline by going airborne to snag a one-handed catch for a big gain. Pickens then handed the ball back to Porter as a taunt and one rep later, waved goodbye to Porter as he ran free following a successful slant route.
But two days later, Porter, who had been the punching bag for a majority of his time at training camp, was able to get a couple of plays back against Pickens - a breakup along the sideline in 11-on-11 work and the interception.
Porter relished the moment in the sun, with fans cheering for him instead of a play made against him. Porter's been learning quickly that the college game is vastly different from the NFL in terms of skill, speed, strength and, most importantly, rules.
"He is very much in the growth process in terms of the nuances of the professional game," Tomlin said. "The cornerback position in particular probably got more of an adjustment from college to pro than any other position in the game."
But despite the struggles in one-on-one battles with Pickens, Porter has kept his head above water, refusing to back down from the challenge and turning in some strong snaps, with the highlight of the week being his interception. Porter's still got plenty of improvements to make but is trending in the right direction, according to Tomlin.
"Hand play has been a significant component of his game so that adjustment, so we can not underestimate that adjustment," Tomlin said. "But I appreciate his efforts and he's been productive in the midst of it."
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