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Aug 13, 2023

Steelers’ Mike Tomlin reminisces about day he met Joey Porter Jr. as a kid

Filed under: Sounds like coach is a betting man. Anyone who watches The Rich Eisen Show knows that Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin is one of Rich’s favorite guests, and their conversations

Filed under:

Sounds like coach is a betting man.

Anyone who watches The Rich Eisen Show knows that Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin is one of Rich’s favorite guests, and their conversations always unearth some great stories and quotes. Tomlin appeared on the Monday’s show, and once again, did not disappoint.

️ @CoachTomlinThe legendary @steelers head coach told us what it’s like coaching @_TJWatt, the first time he met @JoeyPorterJr and if he plays up a famous coaching cliché:#NFL #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/eLcDMOruY4

The topic of Joey Porter Jr. came up, and Rich wanted to know if Tomlin could remember the day they first met.

Tomlin did not reveal the outcome of the race nor the stakes of the bet.

Eisen also wanted to know if Tomlin has had any time to reflect on the fact that he watched JPJ grow up, and now he’s coaching him.

“Probably in moments when we’re not busy,” Tomlin said. “You run into him in the cafeteria or something like that. But in the midst of the work, I really don’t think a whole lot about it. He had such an accomplished career at Penn State, so I’m not surprised that he’s here. But when I think about the history of it, how long I’ve known this kid throughout his life, it is pretty funny.”

Joey Porter Sr. never played under Tomlin, but their relationship further blossomed when Porter joined the coaching staff in 2014. That’s when JPJ first became a ball boy for the Steelers in Latrobe. Later, Porter Jr. attended North Catholic High School, where he played on the same team as Tomlin’s oldest son, Dino. The two became great friends and would hang out at each other’s homes. Like a Hollywood script, he now begins his own journey in the black and gold after a lifetime of learning “the standard.”