Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
6 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E arly in his tenure with the Pitts- burgh Steelers, Joey Porter Jr. set his sights on winning the Joe Greene Award, which is presented an- nually to the franchise's top rookie. Not long after he was drafted in April, the former Penn State cornerback at- tended an event honoring Steelers quar- terback Kenny Pickett, who had won the award for his performance in 2022. It was then that Porter added a line to his goal sheet. "When the rookies came in and Kenny won his award and we had to show up for the event, I said I wanted to win this," Porter said. "I could see my- self up here giving the speech." Porter will get to give it later this year, having recently been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Joe Greene Award by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers' Association. It's a well-earned recognition. Porter, the son of legendary Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr., knew he was not guaranteed a path to the field after the team chose him last year with the first pick of the second round. He played fewer than 30 snaps in the first five games but went on to start the team's final 11 regular-season games and had 2 tack- les before leaving due to an injury in the second half of the Steelers' 31-17 loss at Buffalo on Jan. 15 in the wild card round. Porter secured his first pro interception in a 17-10 win over Baltimore in October and netted 43 tackles and 10 pass break- ups prior to the start of the postseason. "I feel like there are a lot of areas that I need to work on, and I'm still working on them," Porter told the team's official website. "Overall, I've grown as a player. I'm happy where I'm at, and there's still work to do." FORMER NITTANY LIONS IN THE NFL As of Jan. 15 Adrian Amos (Played at Penn State from 2011‑14), S, Houston Texans: Amos had 23 tackles in 11 games before being released by the Jets on Dec. 2. He was picked up by Houston three days later and has played in four games since, finish- ing with 1 tackle in the Texans' 45-14 victory over Cleveland in the wild card round of the playoffs. Saquon Barkley (2015‑17), RB, New York Giants: Barkley's future in New York is unclear. He rushed for 962 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also catch- ing 41 passes for 280 yards and another 4 scores. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in March, but the Giants haven't ruled out using the franchise tag on Barkley for the second year in a row. Ryan Bates (2015‑19), G/C, Buffalo Bills: Bates, who joined the Bills in 2019, had a special teams role in every game this year prior to publication. In addition to those 79 snaps, he also had 35 on of- fense, all at center. He and the Bills advanced in the playoffs after knocking out the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in the wild card round. Nick Bowers (2015‑19), TE, Miami Dolphins: Bowers was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad in August and did not see game action this season. Jaquan Brisker (2019‑21), S, Chicago Bears: Despite missing two games while in the concussion protocol, Brisker finished third on the Bears with 105 tackles. He also had 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles. Cam Brown (2016‑19), LB, New York Giants: Pri- marily a special teams contributor, Brown played in 16 games and totaled 8 tackles. Ji'Ayir Brown (2020‑22), S, San Francisco 49ers: Brown took over the 49ers' starting free safety po- sition when Talanoa Hufanga got hurt, but then he got hurt himself, suffering a knee sprain against Bal- timore in Week 16. Brown finished the regular sea- son with 35 tackles and 2 interceptions in 15 games. Jason Cabinda (2014‑17), FB, Detroit Lions: Cabi- nda played in only four games during the regular sea- son, making 4 special teams tackles. He was waived in December and later re-signed to the practice squad. Tariq Castro‑Fields (2017‑21), CB, Washington Commanders: Castro-Fields made his first career start in Week 17 against San Francisco, totaling 3 tackles before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. For the season, he played in eight games and made 4 stops. Dan Chisena (2015‑19), WR, Arizona Cardinals: Joey Porter Jr. Saluted As Pittsburgh's Top Rookie G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M PSU IN THE PROS Porter, the first pick in the second round of the NFL Draft last spring, was named the 2023 recipient of the Joe Greene Award — given to the Steelers' top rookie — by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers' Association. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS/KARL ROSER