Linebackers still see themselves as leaders
LATROBE — Joey Porter is proud to take his place on the field as a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Porter, an eight-year veteran, sees himself and his fellow linebackers as the heart and soul of a defense that is coming off a Super Bowl championship and has ranked at or near the top of the NFL consistently this decade.
But that same mentality has been prevalent throughout the Steelers organization for a long time — well before the group of Porter, Larry Foote, James Farrior and Clark Haggans took over the positions.
The linebacker mystique was so prevalent, Porter saw it as a youngster growing up in Southern California and when he was playing at Colorado State in the 1990s.
"You knew that coming in, that the Steelers' linebackers were the face of the defense," said Porter, who was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1999 draft. "Even with stars like (1990's All-Pro defensive backs) Carnell Lake and Rod Woodson, you still always heard about Greg Lloyd, Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown, and even way back with (Hall of Famers Jack) Lambert and (Jack) Ham ... it's the mystique.
"All those guys played and were always the main focal point of the defense. They created high expectations with the defense and with the linebacker position."
Farrior, in his 11th year, agreed. He grew up in Virginia, played his college ball at the University of Virginia and was with the New York Jets for five seasons before signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent in 2002.
Since then, he has blossomed into a player that was voted team MVP in 2004,.
"The way I have been seeing it since I was a little kid growing up watching the Steelers play, they have always been known for linebackers," Farrior said. "We're just trying to uphold that."
