Southeast Missouri State lineman Corey Porter departs from the family specialty

The Porter name in Southeast Missouri is much more synonymous with basketball than football. The family's hoops legacy runs deep.

But Corey Porter, while an accomplished high school basketball player in his own right, has carved out quite a niche for himself on the gridiron.

The Sikeston High School graduate enters his junior season at Southeast Missouri State as one of the anchors of the Redhawks' offensive line that plans on remaining among the nation's top units as far as rushing the football is concerned.

Porter, after seeing playing time off the bench as a true freshman in 2011, started all 11 games at center last season.

"He's really stepped up," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "He's got good feet. He's built low to the ground. He's one of our leaders on the line."

Corey Porter

Porter is the younger brother of current Southeast basketball player Michael Porter. They are cousins of former Scott County Central basketball star Otto Porter Jr., who after a standout two-year college career at Georgetown was the third pick by the Washington Wizards in this year's NBA draft.

"We've always been close," Corey Porter said about the relationship he and Michael have with Otto. "I've told him multiple times how proud we are."

Added Porter with a smile: "We played loads of basketball games together before Otto was the star he is now."

Corey Porter is much more athletic and nimble than his 6-foot-1, 297-pound frame might suggest. He was one of the stars of the 2010-11 Sikeston basketball team that went 30-0 and won the Class 4 title for the program's first state championship.

While Porter enjoyed hoops immensely, he knew his ticket to college was through football. He anchored both Sikeston lines in helping lead the Bulldogs' resurgent program to consecutive Class 4 semifinal appearances.

Southeast Missouri State’s Corey Porter, left, blocks as running back Lennies McFerren tries to break free during a recent scrimmage at Houck Stadium. Porter, who played basketball and football at Sikeston High School, is the cousin of Otto Porter Jr. (Fred Lynch)

"I'm the only one [in his family] that came out pretty big on the weight side," said the affable Porter with a grin. "Once we moved to Sikeston, it set up for me to play. I loved it."

Porter and his family were living in the Scott County Central school district before making the move to Sikeston for the 2005-06 academic year. That's when his football career began to take flight while he also continued to excel at basketball.

Porter, in fact, said only recently has it become clear that football is his favorite sport.

"It's probably football right now. At the start of my college career I couldn't say that," Porter said. "I've started to decline my love of basketball even though I'll never forget that. The state championship ... it was all good."

Close proximity

Corey Porter plays against Cape Central during his junior year at Sikeston High School. Porter played on Sikeston’s Class 4 championship team as a senior in 2011. (Southeast Missourian file)

What's also been good for Porter is the fact he's gotten to play college football so close to home.

"I still talk to a lot of people from Sikeston. They support me, come to my games," Porter said. "It's great, playing 30 minutes from my home."

What hasn't been so good for Porter is that he's had to endure consistent team disappointment for the first time. Southeast has gone 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference during each of Porter's first two seasons with the Redhawks.

"I've been on the winning side of things. It's the first time I've done this much losing the last two years," Porter said. "But we're going to change that. We've still got a ways to go, but I'm very excited about the season."

Porter is one of just two returning offensive line regulars for the Redhawks, along with junior left tackle Ben Schmidt, who also started every game last season.

"They're our two vets, two solid guys," Samuel said.

Porter doesn't believe that overall lack of experience will prevent Southeast's front from again being a dominant, physical unit under offensive line coach Brian Boerboom.

Southeast's offense primarily has relied on a strong ground attack in recent years, leading the OVC and ranking among the top 10 FCS rushing teams each of the past three years. The 2012 Redhawks averaged 262.4 yards rushing per game to rank eighth nationally.

"Coach Boerboom emphasizes we are a running team. We have good quarterbacks who can throw, but we always want to establish our running game," Porter said. "I believe that's what makes a good football team, being able to run the ball downhill."