Joey Porter Sr. Calls Out Former Players for Steelers Hate

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise steeped in tradition. From the beginning of the organization, through the 1970s dynasty, to the 2000s Super Bowl runs, this is a storied franchise that passed tradition down from one generation to the next.

For the most part, the Steelers' fraternity is a positive one. Former players are welcomed back with open arms, and the new roster welcomes their input. Lately, the current roster is taking a ton of flak and criticism from former players. Multiple former Steelers are now NFL analysts and have taken the time to call out where the organization currently is.

Former Steelers linebacker and father of current starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Joey Porter Sr., is a fan favorite and Super Bowl champion defender with the organization. He's stayed near the team in his post-playing days, including several seasons as a position coach.

On a recent appearance on Cam Heyward's Not Just Football podcast, the elder Porter shared that he's had enough of the trash talk from former players. Without specifying, he called out anyone who was taking shots at the organization.

"You can never be too cool to listen when the people who made history has something to say. So we've always took it," he said. "Now, I think we're to the point where now some of the guys getting on these different platforms and they take they shots and say certain stuff. They got different agendas."

Player waves towe — Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Sr. waves the Terrible Towel before a game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Breaking Steelers Culture

Not only do they have their own agendas, according to Porter Sr., these behaviors are breaking the culture and tradition of the Steelers. In his opinion, keeping complaints and issues in-house is a critical piece of doing things the Steelers way.

"It's been a Steeler culture rule. Like no matter when we don't like something, what good do it do us to tear down another Steeler or another guy that's in our building? It ain't something we preach. It ain't something we did. It ain't something we do.," he explained. "We covered more secrets over the 30 years that I've been part of the Steelers than we told. So when they do it, I look at them like: what is that about?"

Keeping Tradition Going

For players like Porter Sr., the Steelers Way is a way of life. They aim to preserve it and advocate for it well after they are putting on the uniform. His passion on Heyward's podcast was crystal clear. He's had enough of the naysayers and the vocal critics, and he wants everyone to get back to tradition.

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