First, how surreal is it to have come so far and now be one game from a Super Bowl – especially being such a big part of the success of the team?
It’s a super-exciting feeling. This is where we expected to be and why I decided to sign here.
This was the expectation they had for us starting off. They were very upfront with me on my role. They have a young group of defensive backs that are playing very well. They told me they liked these guys but that they had few veterans defensive backs on the roster. So they signed me to the practice squad to allow me to grow with those guys and go from there.
After being drafted by Buffalo, your career really took off in Pittsburgh. Why did you decide to sign with the Steelers?
After I was released in 2015, I had a few options of teams that wanted to sign me. Pittsburgh wanted me on their active roster – the others wanted to place me on their practice squads. That was the biggest deciding factor to be honest. I think they had confidence in me to let me show what I could do.
Also – pre-draft, I had driven to Pittsburgh to meet with Coach Lake and Tomlin and the rest of the staff. I think because of that they had some familiarity with me through that process and that helped me.
Having played on a few teams now, who were the mentors that helped influence you most – on and off the field?
First off I had tremendous coaches. I had a really good defensive backs coach in Buffalo in Donnie Henderson. He introduced me to different terms and techniques. How to study and play man and zone. Where to put my eyes and what to look at.
In Pittsburgh, Will Gay was a huge influence. He helped me a lot – he had so much experience and knowledge. I talked to him a lot. He helped so much with the cerebral part of the game. He knew what to do in each type of coverage – man, zone…how to play with leverage, how to read routes. I learned how to study with him but he also helped me to understand how to apply what I learned.
Other guys as well?
My first year, the older guys like Will Allen, Gay, Mitchell. They all took me under their wing. In other stops – New York Rodgers-Cromartie helped. And of course Coach Ross here in Tampa Bay too.
In Pittsburgh you ended up starting so quickly after you got there. How did you get that chance so quickly?
At the time, week two or three – a guy went down due to injury. That is the moment they came up to me and expressed to me that they had confidence in me and that they’d put me out there to do my thing. It took off from there. I’m tremendously thankful for that opportunity.
After a good season, the next season they ended up trading you. What did they tell you about their reasoning?
They told me they signed Joe Haden and wanted to go in a different direction. I appreciated that Pittsburgh was upfront. I appreciate that Tampa Bay is here too. When teams take the time to communicate what’s on their mind to players I respect that. That lets you move forward and do what you need to do.
How has the adjustment been to Tampa Bay’s defense and how different is it from what you’ve been uses to?
Both the Steelers and Tampa Bay have similar defensive styles. They both play everything – man-to-man, all zones, cover one, two and three…Learning all of those systems helped me. Very few teams run one type of coverage. You have to be versatile. I learned how to play press, deep third and deep half, and to blitz…cover two, press jam – so many different styles of play. Playing all of those styles is what makes playing against defenses like Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay’s so difficult.
Can that difficulty sometimes work against you and create missed assignments and mistakes?
Well coaches put you out there because you know it. But it can go too far. You don’t want to be out there thinking too much. That slows you down as a player.
The great thing about what we’ve done in Tampa Bay is that we continued to fine-tune what we do well and dropping back other things that we don’t do as well so we can play fast and have a better rapport with the coaches.
Did Pittsburgh do that?
Definitely they did that. They did the same in Pittsburgh. That’s why we were so good and able to do the things we did on defense.
What are some of the most fun memories you have had of your time in Pittsburgh and in the NFL in general so far?
It’s always more fun when the team is winning – that’s when guys are loosest. I remember in 2016 we played the Bengals in Cincinnati and Will Gay had a pick-six. He was dancing wildly on the sidelines and Porter was having a great time with him. I knew then that that was a special team – a special defense due to the chemistry we had. We all were loose.
Another special experience was being able to play in London when I was with the Panthers. Seeing how far-reaching the NFL was across the world was special.
And of course this year, coming in late and getting to meet these young guys that have such passion and heart. Being a part of something here that hasn’t been done in a long time is really special.
Do you feel, even as a pretty young guy, that you’ve taken on the role now of mentor versus mentee? How have you embraced that role?
I definitely feel that now due to the experience I have not just playing football but with the business side of football too. Having played elsewhere I understand how the business-side of the game can move quickly from one direction to another.
I try to be humble and lead more by example. I try to let my work do my speaking and do my best to be an example to guys in the organization.
Playing with Tom Brady. What does he bring to the team besides his ability that fans may not realize?
The best way to describe the mystique of how Brady affects the team is the sense of calmness and confidence he brings. Not arrogance – just a settledness in the soul and DNA of the team – that you’re playing with a guy who has done it better than anyone else. That’s what it gives the team.
It also gives you freedom on defense. To know that if we do our job and back teams up so the offense gets the ball in good field position, or if we get a turnover, we know we’ll get points from that. That and the steadfastness and resolve he brings to the team means we always have a chance.
A few years from now, where do you hope to be in your career?
I really enjoy it here in Tampa Bay. Not just the organization – the city and culture of Tampa Bay. I like the city more than I thought I would and would love to be back. I’ve had a great time and would love to come back next year.
I definitely also want to have won a Super Bowl or two. That’s the pinnacle of the profession – to be able to achieve that. I don’t think any other feeling is like that. We have guys here on staff that have won Super Bowls too – Larry Foote, Antwaan Randel El. There’s a big Pittsburgh contingent here and they have expressed how exciting it is to win a Super Bowl and how to reach the top.
What have they shown you?
They do so in little ways. They tell us what it takes to keep your body together so you can make this run. And also how to direct the energy you feel during this time. The players and coaches have shown us what to expect to be ready for this.
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