RUSTON, La. - Respect has always been key for senior defensive tackle Tyler Porter.

A native of Lafayette, Porter grew up with his grandparents, mother and three aunts as an only child with a love for football, and being raised in a house full of inspirational women gave him a healthy respect for everyone he has encountered along the way.

"I really don't know how to explain it, but it was fun growing up with women," Porter said. "I learned a lot and developed a great respect for females just from being around my grandmother and my mom."

As an all-star on the playing fields, Porter was mostly focused on football through high school, but dipped his feet into a couple of other sports thanks to persistent coaching from those surrounding him.

"I really focused on football, but in the offseason my coach would try to get me to do other things," Porter said. "The way he would do it was by telling me that he would not let me go out and start if I didn't do track and field and other things."

Porter eventually took a liking to wrestling and track after trying it once and even enjoyed a little success in them as well as he helped guide Northside High School to a wrestling state championship title as a freshman. The 5-foot-11, 354 pound tackle was also a force to reckon with in track and field with a championship as a junior.

But in the midst of his playing days as a budding prep star, Porter's grandmother became sick while he was still in high school and passed away during his junior year. The loss took a lot out of him and broke his focus on other things throughout his life.

"It was difficult," Porter said. "Before she passed away she was in and out of the hospital a lot. She would go a month or two in there and then come back home. It was difficult having to go to practice and then having to come back home and get homework done and then heading over to the hospital for visiting hours. You are up there until a certain time and then you come back and my focus was not on everyday tasks. It was on if my grandmother was doing alright."

The constant worrying took his focus away from football. Porter said that it didn't affect him so much during games, but it would test him greatly during practice. He could not focus on his play calls and his mind would constantly wander to the well-being of his grandmother.

"She always tried to get me to focus on other things," Porter said. "She never wanted us to worry about her. She would always tell us that she was alright and to focus on other stuff. I kind of took away from that the example that she set. I used to complain a lot about the stuff I didn't like, but I grew into not worrying about myself. I put myself last and I worry about other people and other people's needs. I try to be selfless more."

Once his grandmother passed, Porter had a renewed sense of focus on the football field.

"My coach used to say, 'Dedicate this game to something bigger than yourself,' and I always dedicated it to my grandmother while she was sick and after she passed away," Porter said. "I even thought about not playing for a little while, but I talked to my family and they told me that she would want me to keep doing what I love. I got a chance to do that and I was quite successful using her as my motivation."

To this day, Porter dedicates every game he plays as a Bulldog to his grandmother.

"Every game before we play, I go by the bench and I drop to one knee and dedicate the game to something greater than myself, to her and my mom in the stands," Porter said. "She was a sweet person, the sweetest person I have ever met," Porter said. "She was the backbone of our family so I cannot put into words what she meant for my family."

Losing the back bone of the family did not break the Porter family though.

"I would say that it is just like Coach Holtz always says. If someone goes down, like Kenneth Dixon for example, you cannot just put the faith in the offensive line or Jarred Craft. We had to come together as a team," Porter said. "It was not one specific person who tried to take on her role because she was irreplaceable, but we would all try to pick each other up and be more loving and caring toward each other as a whole."

Porter's grandmother left a lasting mark on the defensive tackle with the life lessons she taught. Respect for others is just one of the key traits that make Porter the man he is today.

"Respect was one thing that she was very big on," Porter said. "She always told me that when I walk in to places to say hello. She taught me to say yes sir and no sir and yes ma'am and no ma'am. Basically, she taught me southern respect."

The respect Porter inherited is one of many things he carries with him onto the football field each Saturday as he suits up for the Bulldogs.

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