Steelers, NFL roots run deep with North Allegheny football team

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, October 15, 2023 | 6:01 AM

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There usually is a Super Bowl champion or two somewhere in the crowd at North Allegheny football games and it’s been that way for about a decade.

In fact, sometimes there are four or five NFL alums there for game days.

That’s because coach Art Walker’s teams have enjoyed a string of student-athletes with NFL roots, and the former pros are now proud dads or uncles there to watch their sons or nephews play on Friday nights.

There have been multiple Porters and Gildons and Hokes on the roster, and Walker said the coach-parent relationships he’s had with the ex-NFLers have been good.

“Obviously, their dads have been around football and know football,” Walker said. “I believe that whenever they observe what we’re doing or they talk to their sons about what we’re doing, there’s a trust. They know we’re working hard and trying to do everything we can to put our players in a great position.”

This year’s roster had four players with NFL roots, including lineman Lincoln Hoke, whose dad, Chris, played defensive line for the Steelers. The younger Hoke, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound sophomore, already starts at right guard for the Tigers.

“He has earned it,” Walker said, “and he is a player.”

Lincoln is the third Hoke brother to play football for North Allegheny, following Cade, a 2019 graduate, and Nathan, a 2021 grad. As a result, their family has become quite familiar with the program.

“Art coaches it the right way,” said Chris Hoke, who played for the Steelers from 2004-11. “He runs a tough program. He works these guys hard and he teaches them about work ethic. He’s also about leadership and they win a lot of games.”

Hoke said Walker has a solid reputation as a no-nonsense coach, so he always felt comfortable having his sons play for him. Another luxury he liked about North Allegheny was its large coaching staff. Every position has an assistant or two.

“If I ever go watch practice, I’d hide somewhere,” Hoke said. “I didn’t want people to think I was looking over their shoulders. They do a good job. There might only be one or two other programs where I’d feel comfortable sending him and feel he’s getting the same kind of coaching.”

Hoke isn’t the only current player with NFL roots. Senior Tyree Alualu is the son of Tyson Alualu, senior Khiryn Boyd is a nephew of Joey Porter, and sophomore James Harrison shares a name with his famous dad, who’s responsible for one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

Only a sophomore, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound James Harrison III plays some special teams for the varsity nowadays.

“He’s a young guy, but he’s learning,” Walker said. “He definitely has some promise. He’s a running back/outside ‘backer and he’s a tough kid, so I definitely think there’s a future for him.”

Walker said he believes the relationship with the former NFL players has been a good one in part because his staff is experienced and approaches coaching in the right way. This is Walker’s 19th year at North Allegheny.

“I think there’s definitely a level of trust on what we’re doing that correlates with why we’ve had such good relationships with them,” he said.

One of the team’s former stars, Joey Porter Jr., is now an NFL rookie playing cornerback for the Steelers. He was an all-conference player for the Tigers and earned Terrific 25 honors from the Tribune-Review as a senior in 2018.

“It’s nice to see him continue to get more playing time and develop,” Walker said. “It’s fantastic.”

Among others, the list of recent NFL kids included Jason Gildon’s sons Jason Jr., Justus and King; Jerame Tuman’s son Canyan; Porter’s son Jacob and nephew Amosis; Darnell Dinkins’ sons Khalil and Kolin; and Tom Ricketts’ sons Thomas and Trace.

Walker said another factor that has helped the coach-parent relationship is having 70% of his coaching staff working in the school district. He said that lets parents and players get to know them as both coaches and educators.

“You have coaches who are teachers or counselors or whatever, so they’re an asset to the student-athletes from early on,” Walker said. “You always have someone to go to if you need help in a class or if there’s something troubling you. Parents know the same thing.”

Another obvious benefit was having had a couple of former Steelers players on the coaching staff. Retired tight end Jerame Tuman is a current assistant for the Tigers and retired defensive end Aaron Smith previously was on the staff.

“It helps when you have guys like that who are coaching and say, ‘Hey, these guys are doing it right and getting it done,’” Walker said. “There is that trust factor. They have an opportunity now to be a dad and enjoy it. They can watch their kids play and develop and let someone else coach their son.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny