New sport within his grasp

The ultimate NFL neophyte, Porter never had so much as gotten in a three-point stance on a football field before the camp, which wraps up today. The 6-foot-5-inch, 310-pounder, signed as an undrafted free agent, looks the part of an NFL player, but he was an All-American wrestler for Kent State, finishing sixth in the heavyweight class at the 2009 NCAA Championships.

Porter is trying to follow in the footsteps of Patriots right guard Stephen Neal, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion and the 1999 heavyweight freestyle world champion who didn't play a down of college football but found a place in the NFL. One important distinction is that Neal played high school football. This is Porter's first foray into the sport.

"Yeah, it's definitely not easy," said Porter. "I just got to try to learn as much as I can in the time I have out here. I'm just trying to be a sponge."

There is no detail too rudimentary for the 22-year-old Porter to ponder. Patriots assistant head coach/offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has spent time instructing Porter on how to get in a proper stance before striking the blocking sled.

"These guys have been in a stance hundreds of thousands of times," Porter said. "I'm trying to make it so it will come natural."

The Patriots are taking a shot on Porter because the size, strength, athleticism, and balance he showed as a standout wrestler are all qualities that are needed to be a quality NFL lineman. The success the Patriots had developing Neal, who is now a starter, appealed to Porter.

Porter first thought about playing football during his junior year at Kent State, but he didn't join the team because he didn't want to jeopardize his shot at earning All-America status in wrestling. Porter is Kent State's first All-American wrestler since 1986.

There is precedence for Porter being a quick study when it comes to picking up a sport. He didn't begin wrestling until his sophomore year at Firestone High in Akron, Ohio.

That's the last time Porter felt this lost.

"It's like anything, it took me years to get instinctive," said Porter. "It took me a while to get good. I'm just trying to take a certain path.

"I took and spent a lot of time in the offseason, working out and staying after it to get good at wrestling. It's the same idea in football. Study, even when I'm tired, the techniques and things like that, just trying to remember everything coach says."

Porter said that when he was first learning to wrestle, he was shown a lot of tapes of Neal, who won the Dan Hodge Award - college wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy - at Cal State Bakersfield.

Porter has yet to talk to Neal, but he can draw inspiration from Neal's unconventional NFL career.

"He had all the tools, so it just took him a while," said Porter. "Hopefully, it's the same thing here."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said it's hard to compare the progress of Porter and Neal.

"When we brought Steve in, we started him on the defensive side of the ball and eventually moved him to the offensive side of the ball," said Belichick. "We just have to see how it goes here with Porter.

"Right now, he's working on offense, but [we'll] flip him over and just see how it goes.

"I don't really have any expectations other than as long as he's improving, we'll keep working with him and see maybe where the best fit for him may be."

Belichick said yesterday that Porter is athletic and is learning and getting better, but that "he's still got a long way to go."

When camp wraps up, Porter will head back to Kent State and work with the football staff there.

His brief indoctrination to football has given him a greater understanding of just how much of an uphill climb he's facing.

"I'm just taking baby steps, one day at a time," said Porter. "I know it won't come soon, but I'm just going to keep working at it, so it can come."

Linebacker Tyrone McKenzie suffered an apparent right knee injury during the first of the two sessions yesterday, forcing him to miss the second. A third-round pick out of South Florida, McKenzie was injured playing pass coverage in a one-on-one drill. His feet got tangled up with a running back's and both players went to the ground. McKenzie eventually was able to walk off the field.