All right, Joey, you are no stranger to Saint Vincent College. How many camps do you think this is for you? Now?
I said, this is like number five. I think so, yeah, camp five for me?
Does it feel completely different or is it still like I know this place I've been here.
It feels a.
Little different because I'm the one actually like practicing, but still like when I wake up in the morning and take my walk to breakfast and everything, I still get that same old feeling.
Go back to when you were little, when you were here at Saint Vincent, just as Joey Porter's kid. What do you remember most about being able to run around not just the fields, but the locker rooms. I know you guys played race cars, you do all kinds of crazy stuff, not football related.
Yeah, really just talking with all the football players and all the guys, getting knowledge from them, and really them taking me under their wing.
So every time I get a.
Chance to talk to a guy or a ball b I just try to give them as much information that I can because I remember when I was in their shoes. That's all I wanted to do was talk to a guy that was in the NFL. So I just try to give that back.
And then when you became a ball boy, take me through just like what a typical day was like for you here at camp.
So I was I was a halfway ball boy.
I didn't get to do I didn't get to do all the stuff the ball boys day, which I was kind of glad because they used to do a lot of stuff. We had to wake up early, we had to scrub the footballs, we had to put the tarp on the field in the rains, and like some stuff. Me me and Dino Mason and all my other cousins, was like, yeah, we're not doing that, So like we'll stay back and we do our like sidework off we had like with the strengths coaches and stuff like that.
So it was fun. Definitely talk to me.
About George Pickens and maybe the little battle that is brewing between you guys. It's good versus good. It's in the right environment, but how is that helping you as you start your rookie season.
I feel like it's getting me ready. You know, ironshock and iron That's what coach I always say. We got to compete and both of us is not shining away from competitions. So that's just gonna make us better.
At the end of the day, who's a bigger trash howker.
I'm gonna say me? Oh, you know, I always gonna lead to me. He trash talked a little bit, but I feel like I I got some good stuff on my.
Side too, Patrick Peterson, I feel like, you know, being drafted to team your dad played for, but then having a chance to work with a guy like that. You talked about it the night you were drafted and how important that was. What have you learned from him that maybe you didn't expect to learn.
It's so much. I can't even just talk about one thing. He just been a real good asset to me and the team in general. Just sending over with me after practice, teaching me the nuggets of the game, going through film, teaching me different ways how to do different coverages. I mean, he's really been a real help to me since I've been here.
You said that you were gonna do anything that he did, including play golf. Has that happened yet. Have you got out on a course with him?
Not yet?
But I have been talking to talking golf with them here and they're it's hard eighteen holes. I can't do that now it gets too hot and everything. But he says, you got to slowly work in us. So that's what I'm gonna try to do.
You talked earlier in camp just about your confidence. The Steelers know what they got. You're going to have that confidence. Of course, we know who your dad is, the confidence that he played with. How did you get your own confidence and how early did it start?
I feel like it started at a young age, right when I put my pads on. I always wanted to play football. He inspired me to play the game, and he just always told me don't play because I did play with your own love, and I feel like it just to poured away. We always got that fiery chip on our shoulder. We want to talk, we want to compete in That's what I got, So I'm gonna show it.
So you feel like when you were in Little League, you were that kid that other parents went, oh, yeah, that kid's pretty good.
Yeah yeah, I had mama's crime and everything like that. That was my goal definitely.
When you signed your contract with the Steelers, it was on your birthday, and it also was in Benedict Hall here on campus where you used to play. I think it's a ball boy ping pong, right, yeah, I mean how full circle can that get?
I mean it was crazy right when they picked the room. I'm like, I used to play ping pong in this room, like with all my friends and all the ball boys. So it's the craziest A three sixty that that's where I signed it on my birthday. I used to have my birthday parties here. Now that I actually got my own things, it's crazy.
It's crazy in terms of Draft night.
Now you've been motivated to another level because we guess proof.
Yeah, yeah, and take it personally as you should.
The clip went viral. Have you gone back and watched that or is that just something you know exactly what he said in that moment?
Oh yeah, I go back and watch that here and there, just because there was such a great moment that was captured. We didn't even know that there was rolling. I forgot. I was miked up because it was just such an emotional moment for everybody that was with me. So yeah, if I want to get motivated or just see a great clip, I just go to that and it gets me fired up all over again.
Des Are you surprised how well it was received by the public.
No, not really, because they got to see my dad on that side. Everybody used to see my dad as a trash talker. Take your hand up, you might be able to block somebody wish you to block me, block me if he.
Wanted to always up and fiery.
But they got to see a chance of him really just being a father to a son. And I feel like that was a great moment captured.
For both of us.
You know, the Steelers are about to go on the clock. How long did that period of time feel?
I felt like forever it did, And I honestly didn't feel like Irones didn't know what the Stellers were going to do at that moment.
I didn't like I was like, Oh, yeah, they're gonna pick me, They're gonna pick me. I just sat there.
It was like, whatever happens happened, especially after last the night before, I really didn't know what was gonna happen because the draft is so crazy, like my dad was telling me, so I really just prepare for anything.
At that moment, whose decision was it to jump in the car and go to the facility.
Uh it was Omar's Yeah, I was, I was. I was at home and then he was like, come down to the facility. I was like, you sure right now. He's like, yeah, you're right across the streets. So I'm like all right, and then I brought my whole family. Everybody was excited. I took a couple of photos and everything, and it was a great moment. Definitely, so so.
Crazy training camp, the pads went on the first preseason game. Do you get amped up for that? You get a little bit of nerves. What are the feelings for it?
I feel like it's all more.
I'm really excited, you know, if my first time really putting on the Steller jersey, going out there with the guys and going against another opponent. We've been going against each other for a little while now, so the fact that I could hit somebody else and cover somebody else, I'm really excited about that.