Spotlight Bull: Joshua Porter is a Small-Town Guy Embracing the Family Life
September 17, 2026 | Football
Fourth-and-6. Last chance for the Bulls. Opposing crowd roaring. Wide receiver Joshua Porter broke from the huddle and split wide right.
At that moment, Porter's wife, Ninoshca, was a thousand miles away from the noisy din inside Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. She was on the floor of their Tampa apartment, assembling a toy box for their 1-year-old son, Isaiah. But as she focused on the CBS Sports Network coverage, as she saw No. 80 head to the top of the television screen, she just knew.
"Something big is going to happen,'' she said out loud.
Sure enough, something big happened.
In a play that's certain to live forever in South Florida football lore, quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. lofted a perfectly thrown 38-yard touchdown pass into Porter's waiting arms with 19 seconds remaining, giving the Bulls a dramatic 28-24 road victory against the Army Black Knights.
"I was so happy,'' Porter's wife said. "I was screaming. I was yelling. I was shedding tears. I was experiencing every emotion.''
Meanwhile, little Isaiah, confused by the sudden noise, began wailing. His mother quickly calmed him down.
"One day, Isaiah will understand what happened,'' Porter's wife said. "In that moment, my baby got scared. He didn't know what had just happened. One day, his daddy will have a great story to tell.''
Joshua Porter already has a great story. It's a tale of football and faith, of perseverance and love, of small-town charm and big-time talent.
"I'm a pretty simple guy with pretty simple values,'' Porter said.
Ninoshca noticed those aspects during their junior year at Parkview Prep Academy in Avon Park. He walked into a classroom and began a conversation that will likely continue through the rest of their lives.
"It was a spark I still can't fully explain,'' she said. "I was attracted to his heart. Such an incredibly big heart. An amazing, humble heart. Since that day, we basically haven't left each other's sides. It was meant to be.''
Porter, who commuted 40 minutes one-way from Sebring and played his final high-school season with the Fort Meade Miners in Polk County, proposed to Ninoshca in the summer of 2024. They were married at the Hillsborough County Courthouse after last season. Life isn't always easy or orderly for a 20-year-old college football player and communications major with a wife and energetic baby son. But that life is always sweet.
When Porter arrives into the embrace of his family, he'll help his wife or play with his son. They are homebodies. They read their Bible and say prayers. He has a different life than many of his teammates. It might not seem like much, but they have all they need.
Added benefit: Isaiah will be the cute little one wearing the tiny No. 80 USF jersey on Saturday night when the Bulls (2-0) face the Delaware State Hornets (2-1) at Raymond James Stadium.
"There are some long, busy days and some sacrifices that have to be made, but I truly believe we are blessed,'' said Porter, the son of a store manager and paralegal, who has five younger siblings. "I love the life I have. I think God has prepared me for all of this. I've always been chill. I try to put in the work and do the right things.
"If you do the work and keep the faith, I always believe that things will work out.''
Impressive Work Ethic
Joshua Porter has impressed the South Florida coaching staff. The practice habits are impeccable. He catches practically everything. Details are everything, whether it's precise route-running or taking care of his body.
They used to say the same things about a certain Ohio State wide receiver.
A guy by the name of Brian Hartline.
"I was faster (than Porter),'' Hartline said with a smile. "I appreciate the way he does things. He maximizes every single day. He maximizes his targets. He maximizes his routes. He has clean body language. He's consistent when he catches the football. To me, in my world, it's like, 'Well, what doesn't he do?'
"It comes down to guys being who they are, being consistent, showing me the same things every day. If everybody does the same things as you and they're maybe faster than you, then you might lose that battle. But right now, there's a lot of trust in JP. Somebody has got to take that opportunity from him before it gets handed to somebody else. I have a lot of respect for JP and how he operates. Don't have a surprised look on your face because I'm not surprised at what he's doing.''
Porter had options coming out of Fort Meade, a smaller school with a large football pedigree, but chose the hometown Bulls in 2024. As a freshman, he had 25 receptions and appeared to be on the upswing. Last season he didn't have as much playing time on offense (11 catches), but did serve as the primary punt returner. Under Hartline, though, Porter has found his rhythm.
Against Army, he had three catches for a team-high 67 yards (all on the game-winning drive), including a 22-yard sliding grab on third-and-3 and, of course, the 38-yard TD that will be referenced for decades to come.
"Josh is extremely disciplined in his route-running,'' offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. "He doesn't make a lot of repeat mistakes. That (game-winning) touchdown, he ran it great. It's easy to try and run by somebody, but Josh set him (Army defensive back Jaydan Mayes) up. He kind of froze him, ran by him and did a tremendous job, just like he was coached to do.''
"I love the kid to death,'' receivers coach Myles White said. "I know it sounds cliche, but he just works. He puts his head down, he grinds and he gets better every day. Watching him now for the last eight or nine months, he gets better every day. He's a pro's pro. It's impressive not only for the football aspect, but how he manages everything else in his life.''
Different Kind of Life
White said his conversations with Porter often drift in different directions than interactions with the other South Florida receivers.
"Having kids changes you … and I've got five kids,'' White said. "Josh has recognized that. It's a whole different realm of responsibilities. He told me when he had a little setback last season (2025) and wasn't playing as much, he focused on what was really important, his wife and kid. It speaks volumes for how he handles his work. He's extremely mature for his age. He does things and acts in a way that you might not expect from a typical (20-year-old).''
Porter said he hasn't been caught up in the attention from his game-winning catch, but he's pleased that his family is happy with the recognition. Other than that, life hasn't changed much.
"I'm a small-town guy and that's good enough for me,'' Porter said. "I'm married and settled. I'm not one of those go-out, party kind of guys. I have a quiet life. That's the way I like it. I've never seen the need to complicate my life. I have very good days.''
And the best part of each day usually revolves around Isaiah Joshua Porter, his son. The kid lights up when daddy comes home.
"Talking, crawling around, running to the door to see me, making funny faces … I just love being around him and watching him,'' Porter said. "I don't care what kind of day you've had when you come home to that. It's the best. We're lucky because he's pretty chill and not too much trouble. I get the good daddy stuff and (Ninoshca) puts in a lot of work. She's an amazing mom. She's an amazing person. I knew that from the first time I met her.''
Early in the relationship, when the connection was made and their teenage souls were bared, Porter learned the story of Ninoshca's older sister, who he never got to meet. The sister, Naneisha, died at age 15 in 2018 after battling cancer. She had the best attitude ever. She kept smiling. She told her parents not to worry. She wrote encouraging notes to her siblings.
"My sister was the one with cancer, but she always wanted to cheer us up,'' said Ninoshca, who was 11 when her sister died.
Porter listened and learned. It tugged at his heart.
In 2024, Ninoshca's family planned a visit to Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, an 89-acre, nonprofit storybook resort. It hosts children with critical illnesses and their families for weeklong, cost-free vacations. With her sister stricken by cancer, Ninoshca will always remember the happiness provided by that place. Now they were returning to see the star that had been dedicated in Naneisha's name.
Everyone dressed nicely because the family said it was a special event. Ninoshca said Porter seemed nervous, but she wasn't sure why. Once they were on the village grounds, that's when Porter dropped to one knee and presented an engagement ring.
"He knew that place meant the world to me and my family,'' Ninoshca said. "Josh set the whole thing up. He wanted it to be special. That's how thoughtful he is. That's the kind of man I married. He has already given me so many moments to remember.''
Including the one last Saturday.
"One day, Josh's son will ask his dad, 'What kind of college football player were you?' '' White said. "Josh will have some pretty good video evidence. Josh probably doesn't know it yet, but he'll always have that play. People will be talking about it for years.''
"The best part of it all is the way Josh trusts God, the way he speaks about that, and the way he carries that onto the field,'' Porter's wife said. "I look up to him for that. He puts God first and at the center of our marriage. I couldn't ask for more. Isaiah knows who his dad is. Every time he sees him on the (television) screen and I point to him, he smiles. And when Josh comes home, he smiles, too. He can't wait to see his baby boy.''
One day, Josh Porter will have a story to tell his son.
Oh baby, will he ever.
–#GoBulls–
Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
