When you’re the son of one of the Steelers’ most productive and impactful defensive players of the 21st century, dealing with pressure comes with the territory.

But for North Allegheny senior Jacob Porter, son of longtime Steeler and Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter, pressure isn’t something he’s accustomed to feeling. Instead, he’s usually the one dishing it out to opposing quarterbacks.

Porter is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive end for the Tigers who projects as one of the top pass rushers in the WPIAL for the upcoming season. Also a standout sprinter who placed fourth in the 100-meter dash at the 2020 WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships, Porter is a rare athletic specimen with the size, speed and football pedigree to step out of his family’s shadow and make an even bigger name for himself in 2021.

“What he did last year at defensive end, he’s just a great kid coming off that edge,” said North Allegheny coach Art Walker. “He’s so athletic and so fast. He’s got a ton of range. So that’s where he makes the biggest impact, and that’s what we’re counting on from him this year.”

For Porter, stressing about living up to his father’s namesake was never really a concern. After all, he has an older brother, Joey Porter Jr. — now a redshirt sophomore cornerback at Penn State — who dealt with all of that before him. Porter said he never really thought about comparing himself to his father, instead spending much of his time trying to emulate and outdo his big brother.

“I spent a lot of my childhood trying to compete with him mainly and be on those same levels,” Porter said. “It wasn’t until I was older that I didn’t realize I can’t run or sprint as fast as him, because he’s 4 years older than me. I started comparing our ages, where he was at [at my age]. He’s always taken me further.”

Of course, the Porter brothers are different players on the football field, each with their own set of unique attributes. Both have good size and blazing speed, but Joey Jr. played more on the outside as a receiver and cornerback during his high school career at North Allegheny. Porter, meanwhile, takes more after his father.

On offense, Porter should see more snaps this year at the H-back position, a hybrid between a fullback and tight end where blocking will be his main responsibility. Still, Walker said there’s a chance the team tries to get the ball in his hands more this year to see what he can do with it.

“If we can give him the ball in space, the thing about him is once he gets those shoulders square, he’s going downhill and he can run,” Walker said. “If we can take advantage of that, we’re going to.”

Although Porter is certainly teeming with playmaking potential on offense, his future lies on the defensive side of the ball, just like his old man.

“I would definitely say I was inspired by my dad,” Porter said. “When I was a kid, I used to wear his number. I used to wear No. 55. Watching him and hearing the stories, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what I want to do.’ My brother in high school, he started to become more of a defensive specialist. So I was like, ‘OK, defense is what I like. This is what I want to do.’”

Porter has received three Football Bowl Division scholarship offers so far — one from Akron, one from Old Dominion and one from Colorado State, his father’s alma mater. He said he plans on making his commitment at the end of his senior season, and Porter hopes to have several more schools to choose from after putting together a full year of game tape to show off his new and improved skill set.

He spent a lot of time this offseason working out with his father, and Porter is also being instructed by another former Steeler and Pro Bowl defender in North Allegheny assistant coach Aaron Smith. Although Porter is typically more of a speed rusher, he said Smith has helped him grow more comfortable with battling against bigger offensive linemen in the trenches rather than simply trying to run right by them.

“He’s been teaching me a lot. I’m not afraid of a hand fight at all,” Porter said. “I’m pretty excited to see what I’ve learned. He’s been helping me with my hand placement a lot.”

As he continues to grow and pack more muscle onto his frame, Porter should attract more and more attention from college coaches and scouts, possibly even from Power Five schools. He also plans on running track again in the spring, with the goal of lowering his personal-best time in the 100 meters to 11 seconds or less. His fastest time right now stands at 11.05 seconds.

But first, unfinished business remains for Porter. Before he starts to worry about what school he’ll call home at the next level, he hopes to do what his older brother couldn’t during his time at North Allegheny — bring the school a WPIAL championship. The Tigers won three consecutive WPIAL titles from 2010-12, then made it back to the 2020 WPIAL Class 6A title game before losing to Central Catholic, 38-24.

The two powerhouse programs figure to be the preseason favorites in Class 6A once again this season, but in order for North Allegheny to get back to the title game and capture another championship, Porter knows he’ll need to be an even more disruptive force on defense than he was last year.

“It’s dawned on me and the seniors quite a few times [that this is our last shot],” Porter said. “I’m excited. I’m taking it with open arms. I’m ready. I’m ready to play football, that’s for sure.”

Steve Rotstein: [email protected] and Twitter @SteveRotstein.

First Published August 11, 2021, 6:00am