Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was presented with the PNC Joe Greene Great Performance Award at halftime, given annually to the team's rookie of the year. Porter was the 2023 winner of the honor, voted on by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
"I want to thank Coach (Mike) Tomlin, Mr. Omar (Khan), Mr. (Art) Rooney for making me become a Steeler," said Porter during halftime. "A dream come true.
"I want to thank you guys, Steelers Nation."
Porter, the Steelers second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is someone who never backs down from a challenge in football and that was evident during his rookie season.
Porter emerged as someone who was assigned to cover the opponent's top receivers, and he didn't disappoint.
"I'm really excited about the trajectory of his career," said Coach Mike Tomlin at the end of Porter's rookie season. "Probably the most impressive component of where he is, is his mindset. He wants the fight. He wants tough coverage. He's extremely competitive in that way. And that's a great place to build from.
"He's got growth ahead of him, but that's real solid."
Porter finished the 2023 season with 42 tackles, 32 of them solo stops, 10 passes defensed, an interception against the Baltimore Ravens, and a tackle for a loss.
Porter, who was a finalist for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year, was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.
Porter didn't enter the season as a starter, but his playing time gradually grew through the first six games of the season, and by Week 8 he earned a starting role when the team played the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And he never looked back.
"I think about that often," said Porter, the son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr. "If I played Week 1, I don't know how my body would feel. I am glad they slowed the process down for me."
Porter had to wait until the second round to be drafted by the Steelers and that is something that will sit with him for a while.
"It still gets under my skin sometimes," said Porter. "I felt like I was CB1 for sure, and it didn't pan out that way. And luckily it didn't pan out that way because I ended up here. I feel like it was worth it.
"I feel like it elevated my game even more because I came into the league with a chip on my shoulder to prove myself. I feel like I'm still proving myself every day when I step on the field. I don't feel like I am there yet. I have a lot to learn."
The Joe Greene Great Performance Award was established in 1984 and named after the legendary Hall of Famer.
