DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -When linebacker Joey Porter played for Pittsburgh, his teammates say he welcomed them to his home for holiday dinners, provided a spark in the locker room and was a friend to anyone on the Steelers’ roster.
Of course, that history likely won’t completely silence Porter’s famous mouth Monday night, when his winless Miami Dolphins visit his former team.
“It’s Joey Porter,” Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. “I’m sure he’ll be fired up and have a lot to say.”
His former teammates agreed, saying they were prepared for Porter’s fiery trash talk.
“There’s going to be some trash talking. I don’t know if Joey’s got that much firepower, them being 0-10,” Steelers’ linebacker Larry Foote said. “I know he wants to come back and prove that he can still play and have a great game.”
Said cornerback Deshea Townsend: “It will be fun to see. It’s going be good to see him. I’m sure he will have something up his sleeve for this week.”
However Porter disagreed, saying he doesn’t plan to run his mouth as much as usual – but not because of his friendships with former teammates.
“You can’t talk mess now. They’ll just say, ‘Look at the score.’ That’s kind of how it’s been,” Porter said. “But at the same time, we’re getting better. We’re starting to jell together and play together as a team.”
Porter – a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and one of the NFL’s most outspoken players – received a guaranteed $20 million in March to sign with Miami. He spent his first eight seasons with the Steelers.
“It will be a little different,” Steelers’ right guard Kendall Simmons said. “It’s just like any time you come up against guys you played with, then you see them on the other side of the ball. We know he will attack the same way he did all the time when he was here. So it’s going to be fun. I’m sure he’s marked this day on the calendar for a long time.”
The Dolphins are still searching for their first win under first-year coach Cam Cameron. Pittsburgh (7-3) lost to the New York Jets in overtime last Sunday after winning three in a row.
“I can’t be the same guy I thought I was going to be out there on that day,” Porter said. “But I’ll still come ready to play. I just can’t talk as much as I wanted to. But I’ll definitely be ready to play.”
Porter is fourth on Pittsburgh’s career sacks list with 60, but has struggled to adjust in Miami. This season, he has just 1 1/2 sacks. He said he was frustrated after he was sidelined for the end of the season opener and incorrectly predicted a Dolphins’ win over the Oakland Raiders after Miami started the season 0-3.
“He’s been low key (this week),” Holliday said. “I know he’s probably excited about this and the closer we get to it – I’m sure once we actually arrive there in Pittsburgh – he’ll be excited. … He’s going to be really fired up about this one.”
Add A Comment