Practicing with his father watching is no big deal for Steelers rookie Joey Porter Jr.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers inviting alumni to watch organized team activities this week, former linebacker and assistant coach Joey Porter made the short drive from the North Hills to watch one player in particular Thursday morning.

His son.

Rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the team’s first pick of the second round in the NFL Draft, was aware of his father’s presence but didn’t seek any counsel from pops.

“He tried to stay in his lane and let me do me,” Porter Jr. said. “He doesn’t want to overwork it or overhype it. That’s the perfect thing about it. He knows me and understands I need my space, and he was just a visitor today.”

That doesn’t mean the rookie wasn’t going to hear about his play — good or bad — from his father later in the day.

“We’re just going to talk football, and he’ll give me some pointers from what he saw from me and what I can do,” Porter Jr. said.

Porter Jr. expects his father to be a frequent visitor to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. He welcomes the extra set of eyes on him.

“He’s been my coach at Little League. He’s been at all my high school and college games,” he said. “It’s just another person to me. He’s my dad, but that’s how I have to approach it.”