New Steelers defender proves Joey Porter Jr. played a huge role in his decision to return to Pittsburgh during free agency
A reunion that was years in the making.
One of the more underrated needs on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster during free agency was the safety position. With Chuck Clark, Kyle Dugger, and Jabrill Peppers all unrestricted free agents, the Steelers just needed some warm bodies to go along with DeShon Elliott in that room.
They found that at first with Darnell Savage, but a bigger fish was lurking, and one that made a lot of sense for the Steelers. His name is Jaquan Brisker and he was the newest player to be introduced to the media and fans this week. During that introduction, he revealed how he came to be a Steeler and the role his former Penn State teammate Joey Porter Jr. played in making it happen.
Jaquan Brisker says Joey Porter Jr. was a major recruiter in his homecoming
“To be honest, Joey was kinda on the phone call too, a little bit,” Brisker said via the Steelers YouTube channel when discussing how things went down. “He was on FaceTime, ’cause he was blowing up my agent and things like that. Blowing me up like, ‘What are you gonna do?’ I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m probably gonna be a Steeler. So it was amazing, for sure.”
Brisker is a Pittsburgh native. He played high school football at Gateway in Monroeville before going to Lackawanna College in Scranton and then transferring to Penn State. He would eventually become teammates with Porter, where Brisker made sure to get the most out of the talented CB.
Jaquan Brisker pushed Joey Porter Jr. at Penn State
“You know, he had to mature, which he did. And you know, that’s one of my favorite teammates, one of my guys. And to see him, where he came from, at Penn State to now, it’s amazing. He’s gonna be a great player in this league, for sure. For him, he wanted to be great, and I wanted to push him,” said Brisker when asked about tempering Porter Jr.’s ego at Penn State.”
The decision to sign a player with Pittsburgh roots, at a position of need, and for a mere $5.5 million is why I was so high on the move. Brisker spoke about his ability to play all over the defense and how he will be allowed to display the full gamut of his traits in Pittsburgh. It was obvious that he’s happy to be home, and it could turn out to be a great signing for the Steelers.
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