‘I Just Kept Throwing Up’: Joey Porter Jr. Details Illness That Kept Him Out Against Buccaneers, Targets Green Bay

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said Wednesday that he could not keep anything down before last Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that he was throwing up outside his Uber on the way to AT&T Stadium. Porter, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, is aiming to play Sunday night at the Green Bay Packers.

His throat was itchy at the morning walkthrough, Porter said, and he told the training staff. It got worse through the day.

“Really the day of the game, my throat was itchy in the morning when we had our little walkthroughs, and I was trying to get on top of it. I told them about it. They gave me the right stuff for it, and then throughout the day it just kept getting worse and worse. And on my way to the game, that’s when I realized when I was throwing up outside of my Uber on the way to the game,” Porter said. “So it was brutal, not going to lie.”

He tried to sleep it off before the game, Porter said.

“Yeah, man, I really just couldn’t hold anything down. I just kept throwing up. I tried to fight through. I tried to take a nap before the game just to shake it off, but I just couldn’t hold anything down. So that’s when they made the call to send me home,” Porter explained.

Advice From Joey Porter Jr.’s Father

Porter had prepared all week to play, he said, and was mad to miss the 24-16 loss. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that the Cowboys had built part of their plan around Porter for that game.

“It’s very frustrating. I was prepared to play all week. The mindset was playing, the mindset was to get the dub, and obviously I didn’t get to do that and we didn’t get the dub, so I was pretty pissed my little couple days off,” Porter said.

His father, former NFL linebacker and coach Joey Porter, told him to keep the main thing the main thing. Porter said the extra days off helped him learn the playbook.

“I feel great. Those extra days definitely helped me really lock in with the playbook, too. It was a win-win. I was mad that I couldn’t be out there with the guys on that Thursday night. I was pretty mad about that. I was beating myself up, and my dad was just telling me, keep the main thing the main thing and focus on what we got ahead of us,” Porter said. “So that’s Green Bay.”

A Race For The First Interception In The Cornerback Room

The Cowboys’ cornerbacks talk about not having enough ball production, Porter said, and there is a competition in the room for the first interception.

“Definitely. We talk about there’s not enough ball production in the room, and that’s what we’re striving for to get better at. So it’s definitely a little mini competition going on in the room,” Porter said. “It’s just healthy for the room and shows that we’re all trying to strive for the same thing.”

The team is close to putting together four solid quarters, Porter said after watching the tape.

“It’s right there. We all watch the tape. We all know what we need to work on. We all know it’s a couple plays that’s holding us back,” Porter said. “So if we just hone in and do what we’re supposed to do, those little plays, those little miscues should be cleaned up.”

Christian Parker Plans A Bigger Role For Porter

Defensive coordinator Christian Parker said Thursday that Porter’s workload would be heavily increased at Green Bay.

“We’ll see, but he’s definitely going to be heavily increased. I feel really good about where he’s at,” Parker said.

Porter has fit in with the cornerbacks since the trade, Parker said.

“Really excited about Joey. I said it last week, anytime you can add good players, you’re always on board for that. Joey’s talented. He has the right mindset. He’s kind of just fell right in in terms of chemistry with the guys and learning the playbook and getting himself kind of back to playing shape, so we’ve been excited about him so far,” Parker explained.

Porter is questionable for Sunday with an ankle injury, according to Friday’s final injury report. He was limited Wednesday and Friday, practiced fully Thursday, and traveled with the team to Green Bay on Saturday. Kickoff at Lambeau Field is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 18, on NBC.