Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
M A Y 2 0 2 6 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M C ornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Jaquan Brisker patrolled the Penn State secondary together as starters for two seasons, back in 2020 and '21. Now, several years into their respective NFL careers, they will get the chance to play together again. Porter is preparing for his fourth pro season, all with the Pittsburgh Steel- ers; Brisker is entering his fifth season and his first with a team other than the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the second round in 2022. In March, Brisker signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Steelers. The deal brings him back to his hometown for the first time as a pro after he made 342 tackles and snared 4 interceptions during a suc- cessful if injury-plagued four seasons in Chicago. Brisker's first fully healthy season was in 2025, when he managed to play every single defensive snap for Chicago and finished second on the team with 93 tackles. Upon signing with the Steelers, the Gateway High graduate told reporters he had grown up a fan of the six-time Super Bowl-winning franchise. "I started football at 4 or 5 years old," he recalled. "Going around the house, throwing footballs around and Mom taking them away from me — I was down to using socks with water bot- tles acting like I was playing football. I never thought I'd be a Steeler, which is crazy. But now that I'm here, I'm just so blessed and humbled to be here. I just get chills knowing that I'll be a Pitts- burgh Steeler. "When I was thinking about that — seeing that Terrible Towel waving around, hearing that 'Renegade' song — it's going to be so fun playing in front of fans and turning them up. That's all I want to do. That energy and passion this city has around football, it's like no other [fan base]. I can't wait to play in front of them." Porter and Brisker communicated throughout the free agency process. Brisker recalled needing to coach up his former Penn State teammate during their time together in blue and white. "I had to get Joey together, I'll say that," Brisker told the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette. "He had to mature. But he did, and he's one of my favorite teammates. To see where he came from at Penn State to now, it's amazing. He's going to be a great player in the league. "I just had to get him on the right path football-wise. I was a captain, and I wanted to win a championship so bad. I felt like it was my job to get the DBs to- gether, and that takes hard work. That's an everyday thing. That's consistency. It's not just a one-day thing or a [situa- tion] where I can just show up and give my talent." Both have grown in different ways since the last time they stepped onto a field together. They hope their working relationship will help Pittsburgh defend its AFC North title and return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2010 season. "We're excited," Porter told "The Blueprint Podcast." "It's about to be a movie, because we play off each other so well. I know what he wants in a cor- nerback, and I know what I need out of my safety." ■ Jaquan Brisker Eager To Revive A Winning Partnership 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 Brisker, who signed with Pittsburgh in March, played every defensive snap for Chicago last season, finishing second on the team with 93 tackles. PHOTO BY COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS MICAH PARSONS' REHAB PROGRESSING WELL Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons continues to recover from an ACL injury he suffered late in the 2025 season. According to The Athletic, his rehab is going well. The former Penn State All-American has said he wants to be back on the field for the Packers' opener in September. That may or may not be realistic, but team officials do expect to have him back in action early in the season. "We've got a plan," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told The Athletic. "I don't ever want to put limitations on people, but obviously there's a process, and the medical [staff] has to feel really good about it before we put a guy back out there coming off that significant of an injury." Parsons' left knee gave way while he was pressuring Denver quarterback Bo Nix in Green Bay's 34-26 loss to the Broncos on Dec. 14. Before getting hurt, he totaled 12.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in his first season with the Packers after being traded by Dallas. Despite missing the team's last three regular-season games and playoff loss to Chicago, Parsons was named a first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press. General manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers were thrilled with Parsons' impact last year. "When you acquire a player, you never really 100 percent know when they enter your environment how that's going to be," Gutekunst said. "I couldn't be happier with how he's embraced Green Bay, embraced his teammates, the leadership he's shown. He's all football. I think that's the thing for me that's been exciting to see — where he's going to go as a Green Bay Packer." — Greg Pickel