Joey Porter Jr.

OVERVIEW

Summary: From a family full of football players, including father Joey Sr. who was a standout linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1999-2006), Miami Dolphins (2007-09) and Arizona Cardinals (2010-2011). Porter Jr. is tall and talented enough to be great in the NFL, but his aggressiveness may hurt him as much as it helps. He did not give up a touchdown in 2022 and had 11 pass defenses. Only one interception in 35 games, 33 starts. Also collected 11 penalties in coverage, including nine pass interference. Despite his lineage and potential, Porter Jr. will need to have more focus and finesse to be a finished product in the NFL.

FRANKLY: This is a draft rich in NFL-caliber cornerbacks and Porter Jr. appears to be one of the top three, but he is not a sure thing. If you draft him, make sure you are ready to coach him up and the result may be a top-rate pro player. 

STATS

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS  TFL   SACK    FF     PD    INT 

2019: (4/0)         3         0.0      0.0         0       1       0

2020: (8/8)         33       2.0      1.0         0       4       0

2021: (13/13)     51       0.0      0.0         1       5       1

2022: (10/10)     27       0.0      0.0         0      11      0

Total: (35/31)    114      2.0      1.0         1      21      1

HISTORY — From College Profile

Career notes and records

Game: Records Set: Six pass breakups at Purdue set a school record...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). Notable: The six breakups are tied for the second-most in an FBS game this season.

2022 (redshirt junior)

Awards: Postseason: Named All-America second team by the AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA, Walter Camp Football Foundation and CBS Sports...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...Earned the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player. Midseason: Was a Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist. Weekly: Earned the Bednarik Award National Player of the Week (9/6). Preseason: Named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott IMPACT Trophy watch lists...Named preseason All-Big Ten second team by Pro Football Focus.

Season: Started ten games at cornerback...Recorded 27 tackles (21 solo), 11 pass breakups and a fumble recovery...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Game following Purdue (9/1) at Purdue (9/1): Tallied a career-high six pass breakups...Recovered a fumble in the second quarter, his first career fumble recovery...Recorded a team-high eight tackles, all solo. Ohio (9/10): Made a solo stop. at Auburn (9/17): Made two solo tackles. Central Michigan (9/24): Broke up three passes...Tallied five tackles (2 solo). Northwestern (10/1): Assisted on a tackle and added a pass breakup. at Michigan (10/15): Picked up four tackles (3 solo). Minnesota (10/22): Collected one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Ohio State (10/29): Picked up four solo stops. at Indiana (11/5): Made a solo stop. Michigan State (11/26): Assisted on one tackle.

2021 (redshirt sophomore)

Awards: Named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and honorable mention by the media

Season: Made 13 starts at cornerback...Finished with 51 tackles (40 solo), one forced fumble, one interception and four pass breakups...Named the Coaching Staff's Defensive Player of the Week following the Auburn game (9/18). At Wisconsin (9/4): Recorded six tackles (4 solo) and a pass breakup...Pass breakup helped stop a potential Wisconsin scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Ball State (9/11): Tallied three solo tackles. Auburn (9/18): Posted six tackles (4 solo) with a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Villanova (9/25): Made three solo stops. Indiana (10/2): Recorded first career interception...Added three tackles (two solo). at Iowa (10/9): Made three solo stops and added a pass breakup. Illinois (10/23): Recorded a career-high nine tackles (8 solo) with a pass breakup. at Ohio State (10/30): Posted two tackles. at Maryland (11/6): Had five solo tackles. Michigan (11/13): Posted a solo tackle. Rutgers (11/20): Made three tackles. at Michigan State (11/27): Recorded five tackles (3 solo). vs. Arkansas (1/1): Tallied two stops

2020  (redshirt freshman)

Awards: Postseason: Earned All-Big Ten third team honors from the media and honorable mention from the coaches. Weekly: Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (12/7).

Season: Appeared and started in eight games...One of 14 players to make their first career start...Made 33 tackles on the season (24 solo) to go along with two tackles for loss, one sack and four pass breakups. At Indiana (10/24): Notched five tackles, all solo stops...Registered first career sack in the first quarter...Added a pass breakup. Ohio State (10/31): Made five tackles, including three solo...Had one pass breakup. Maryland (11/7): Registered three solo tackles. at Nebraska (11/14): Assisted on two tackles. Iowa (11/21): Recorded four solo stops...Assisted on one additional tackle...Added a pass breakup. at Michigan (11/28): Recorded four solo stops...Added a pass breakup. at Rutgers (12/5): Made a career-best six tackles, including four solo...Had one tackle for loss. Michigan State (12/12): Made six tackles (4 solo)...Added a tackle for loss. Illinois (12/19): Made three tackles

2019 (true freshman)

Season: Redshirt season...Appeared in four games...One of 29 players to make their collegiate debut...One of 19 true freshmen to play. At Maryland (9/27): Broke up one pass. Purdue (10/5): Recorded first career tackle. Rutgers (11/30): Made two solo tackles.

High school: Two-time letterman for head coach Art Walker at North Allegheny High School and played at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic for two seasons...Was a team captain as a senior...Guided the Tigers to a 10-1 record and a Quad County Conference Class 6A title as a senior...Selected as a Terrific Ten finalist for the 2018 Mr. Football Big School (Classes 4A-6A) Award...Named All-USA Pennsylvania Football Team first team by USA Today in 2018...Chosen Pennsylvania Football Writers first-team Class 6A All-State as a senior...Selected first-team Big 56 all-conference as a senior...Registered 22 tackles with three interceptions and four passes defended as a senior...Grabbed 11 receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns in 2018...Had 26 tackles, seven interceptions and three pass breakups as a junior...Rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN and a three-star recruit by Rivals...Rated as the No. 234 overall recruit, No. 24 cornerback and No. 4 prospect in Pennsylvania by 247Sports...Ranked as the No. 281 overall prospect, No. 19 safety, No. 30 player in the region and No. 2 recruit in Pennsylvania by ESPN...Ranked No. 52 cornerback and No. 11 prospect in Pennsylvania by Rivals...Lettered in track & field four times.

PERSONAL

Full name is Joey Eugene Porter Jr....Son of Christy and Joey Porter Sr....Has two brothers, Jacob and Willie, and two sisters, Jayla and Jasmine...Father, Joey Sr., was the outside linebackers coach for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers (2015-18)...Father played football at Colorado State (1995-99) and played 13 seasons for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals...Cousin, Jason Gildon, played football at Oklahoma State (1990-94) and played 10 years for the Steelers and one season for the Jacksonville Jaguars...Cousin, Larry Birdine Jr., played football at Oklahoma State and three seasons in the NFL...Cousin, Sheldon Croney Jr., currently plays football at Iowa State...Hobbies include playing video games...Has volunteered feeding the homeless and at special needs activity day...Majoring in rehabilitation and human services with plans to take over his mother’s business, The Jasmine Nyree Day Center.

2022

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
2.0	0.0	0.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	1.0	27.0	0.0	8.0	0.0	21.0

2021

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	51.0	0.0	4.0	0.0	40.0

interceptions
TD	AVG	YDS	INT
0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0

2020

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
2.0	0.0	34.0	0.0	4.0	1.0	25.0

2019

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	3.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	2.0