Joey Porter Jr. on Draft night, living up to his dad's name and why he can't wait to pick off Patrick Mahomes I The Rush
Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is on The Rush, chatting with Jared about NFL Draft night plans and expectations, how he differentiates himself from his famous NFL father, Joey Porter Sr. and which current NFL stars he’s most looking forward to competing against. Plus, Joey is partnering with Old Spice for their School of Swagger initiative to make a difference through mentorship.
Video Transcript
JARED QUAY: You ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine, which is much, much faster than your father, NFL star, Joey Porter Sr. So my question to you is, at what age did you realize you were faster than your dad?
JOEY PORTER JR: When I was six. Probably in like middle school going into high school. Like, OK, I'm fast, and he always told me, like, your mom was a track star. I did track. We got speed in our family, but I know I'm the fastest in the family, so it's all right.
JARED QUAY: What's up, everybody? I'm here with cornerback out of Penn State, Joey Porter Jr. Joey, how are you doing today?
JOEY PORTER JR: Doing good. How are you doing?
JARED QUAY: I'm doing amazing. So what I do got to know is where are you going to watch the draft? And this is a question just for me, who's the first person you're going to hug when you get the call?
JOEY PORTER JR: Probably my mom. I'm going to be in the green room. I'm being in Kansas City. So it's going to be a special night, and she's probably going to be the first person I hug.
JARED QUAY: All right, I'm going to be watching. If you don't hug her first, you know people trying to sneak that hug. You got a cousin or somebody's going to try to sneak a hug from you unless mom moves first. You share a name with your father, who is a three-time NFL All-Pro and a Super Bowl champ. And I want to know what weight does having the name Joey Porter in your name add to expectations of what people expect of you?
JOEY PORTER JR: As a kid I kind of did have a lot of weight on my shoulders because everybody wanted to be like him, play his position, but when I was young, he had that conversation with me that he wanted me to be better than him. And after that conversation, really, all the noise around me went quiet because we have that understanding. So it's no pressure now.
JARED QUAY: If you were drafted by one of your father's rivals when he was playing, ie, the Ravens, is your dad required to become a fan?
JOEY PORTER JR: Yeah, most definitely. And I feel like he'll be a fan no problem because he's going be supporting me at the end of the day. So, yeah, he's going to be down with it. He's going to have a Ravens jersey on if that happens.
JARED QUAY: Oh, man, I ain't going to lie, there's a lot of Steeler fans who are going to be quite upset about that one.
- No!
JARED QUAY: Who are some of these elite receivers that you're looking forward to going against?
JOEY PORTER JR: Man, there's so many that I've been looking forward to since I was a kid, or even in high school. Te Adams, Jay Jettas, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, just all those big name guys that's been in the league, I'm looking for that match-up. I'm ready. I'm excited for it, and I just want to see how I play against them.
JARED QUAY: What quarterbacks would you want to pick off? Who would you want your first interception to come off?
JOEY PORTER JR: Patrick Mahomes. That's the all time. Patrick Mahomes. It's a tough one to get a pick on, and then it's also, like, if you get a pick from Patrick Mahomes, like, you're that guy. So definitely him.
JARED QUAY: You're going to be one of four people to get one that year, so it's a big one.
JOEY PORTER JR: Exactly.
JARED QUAY: Defensive backs are known for their swagger, can you tell me about your partnership with Old Spice and the School of Swagger?
JOEY PORTER JR: Of course. Yeah, I partnered with them because their mentorship and that's what everybody needs, it's just that confidence and that overpowerment. Me my mentor was my dad. He was always in my corner, and I'm glad for him. And I wish that the other kids could find their mentor and do the same.
JARED QUAY: Well, look here, Joey Porter Jr, I'm excited for you. I'm glad what you got going on with Old Spice because you look like you've been drafted by them. And I can't wait to see what team you fall to in the draft, or rise to, should I say. Thank you for rushing with me today, man. I'm looking forward to an excellent career and you getting that Pat Mahomes interception.
JOEY PORTER JR: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
