Earlier this month, Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said that his veteran teammate Patrick Peterson has taken him “under his wing and showed me the ropes” since he joined the team as a second-round pick and Peterson shared some of his approach to being a mentor this week.
Peterson told Amanda Godsey of the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat that he wants to do “whatever I can do to help him accelerate the game as fast as I can” because he believes the quicker Porter finds success “the longer he’ll be able to last into this game.” The three-time All-Pro went on to say that he’s taking particular care to help guide the rookie because he thinks Porter has a very high ceiling.
“I just want to continue helping in as many ways as I can because he has all the intangibles to be better than me,” Peterson said. “I know most greats, or most guys, won’t say that, but that’s just the type of guy I am. I want to pass on the game and leave it in good hands.”
The Steelers signed Peterson to help them on the field this season and the move will look even better if it continues paying dividends through Porter well after Peterson has moved on.