Joey Porter Jr.’s smile on Friday night belied the disappointment he felt after falling to the first pick of the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Porter was widely expected to be a top-20 pick in the draft. Many thought the Steelers would draft him with the 17th overall pick if Porter was still available. To the surprise of many, the Steelers were able to use their second draft pick to select Porter, who at that time was already back in Pittsburgh after being in Kansas City for the draft’s opening night.
“I got a chip on my shoulder,” Porter said during his first press conference as a Steeler. “I’m trying to prove myself.”
That was the first of three times the word “chip” was used by Porter, whose confidence that he was going to be a first-round pick was evident by his wardrobe choices in Kansas City.
“Yeah, I was a little upset,” Porter said of his decision to drive back to Pittsburgh after the first night of the draft. “But also, I’m not going to put on the same suit twice. I’m not going to do that. So, I’m going to go home and relax with the family.”
Porter’s extended wait paid off after the Steelers selected him with the 32nd overall pick. Since he was already in Pittsburgh, Porter decided to head to the Steelers’ South Side facility shortly after being drafted. Before leaving for the facility, Porter celebrated the moment with his father, former Steelers’ outside linebacker Joey Porter.
“I mean, he was excited,” Porter said of his father. “He was probably louder than me a little bit. But he was ready. He said you just go in with that chip on your shoulder. You…
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