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After coaching from his dad, Joey Porter Jr. vies for bigger role

Like practically every other college football player throughout the country this spring, Joey Porter Jr. dealt with restrictions. He was unable to work out with his teammates, couldn't meet face-to-face with his Penn State coaches — instead finding himself dependent on his resources at home as he prepared to move on from his redshirt season and taste real Big Ten action.

As it turns out, when your dad is 4-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ Joey Porter, you don't need to get on a Zoom call to be coached up.

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Penn State Nittany Lions Football Joey Porter Jr.
Joey Porter Jr. at a Penn State practice last season.
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"[Porter Jr.] spent a lot of time at home with his dad, who is a former all-pro NFL player and former NFL coach," Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said recently on the Penn State coaches show. "So he had the luxury of having dad to sit there and learn how to study film and then train physically.

"He brought that back here with a different mindset of understanding that I have to know the system first and foremost, and then [use] his length, his athleticism, and his speed, the combination of those things."

After a year of watching from the sidelines and a few months of specialized tutelage from dad, Porter Jr. has become "a completely different player," Smith said.

"He's so much more mature," Smith said. "He's a physical presence at the line of scrimmage. It's exciting to see his growth and we're just excited each day that he comes out. He's been extremely consistent, we know exactly what we're getting from him, and we're excited to see him out there performing."

Listed at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Porter Jr. is the biggest cornerback on Penn State's roster. He's got more height than any of Penn State's safeties, and can match up physically with most of the Nittany Lions' wide receivers after just one year in State College.

"When you're looking at a 6-foot-2-plus corner, oftentimes he is a long strider, so you don't realize how fast those guys are until no receivers separate from him," Smith said. "His speed is, for a guy that size, you just don't see it every day."

"He's obviously really athletic," Penn State safety Jonathan Sutherland added. "Really great size. He's a really great competitor. He comes out each day and tries to get better and that's what I admire about him."

But after appearing sparsely in four games last season, can Porter Jr. parlay his physical gifts and his unique offseason experience into more significant playing time this year?

Said Smith, "He's gonna play a lot of football for us and we're excited to see him play."

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