Like many of us, James Pierre has warm memories of growing up hanging out and playing with his cousin.

Not all of us have a cousin like Pierre does, though.

A Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Pierre is a first cousin of star Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“We spent a lot of time together,” Pierre said Wednesday of his youth in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area. “We played Northwest Broward Raiders together. We won a couple Super Bowls together.”

Of course, those Raiders are a youth team, and while that “Super Bowl” was and is surely cherished, it is not the Super Bowl.

And come Saturday, Jackson is the biggest obstacle for Pierre and the Steelers making this year’s Super Bowl. And, in a twist, Pierre is probably going to be a significant part of trying to keep Jackson’s Ravens from taking a step toward it, too.

With starting cornerback Donte Jackson missing the first two practices of this week after leaving this past Sunday’s game at the Philadelphia Eagles following a first-half back injury, Pierre has moved from little-used special-teamer into a prominent defensive role.

And if Donte Jackson can’t play in Saturday’s game in Baltimore, Pierre will be facing his cousin, the reigning NFL MVP.

“I’m just embracing it, being ready,” Pierre said before Wednesday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Being in the league a couple years, you know what to do. Just have the right mindset and be ready.

“Just trying to stay even-keeled, stay humble, keep that same mindset.”

Sunday was the fifth time this season Pierre stepped in during a game for the injured Jackson and the second consecutive week. He had an interception during a Dec. 8 home win against the Cleveland Browns in addition to a big pass breakup late during a Nov. 10 win at the Washington Commanders.

But if Jackson is ruled out for the Ravens game, Pierre would make his first start since 2022. In his fifth season with the Steelers since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Pierre has six career starts, three interceptions, 10 passes defensed and four forced fumbles in 78 career games.

Despite signing with the Commanders in March, spending all of the summer and training camp with them and not re-joining the Steelers until Week 3, Pierre has played in all but three of the Steelers’ 81 games the past five seasons, albeit mostly in a special-teams role.

“What you see in practice is a lot of high effort, high energy, attacking the ball,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “What happens is in the game he goes in and does the same thing and usually good things happen. I don’t feel much more different about him as a backup now as I did before he left. So I think he’s done the right things, and I see the way he practices, so I have no qualms about him stepping in and giving us some quality snaps when he has to.”

Last week, coach Mike Tomlin took part of his weekly news conference to offer praise for Pierre. For his part, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, Pierre loves his coach. He repeated several “Tomlinisms” during a chat of a few minutes with media Wednesday.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pierre has a favorite saying. It’s one that Tomlin might utter and one that can aid Pierre as he preps for his cousin Jackson and 2023 AFC finalist Ravens this week.

“Don’t blink,” he said. “Don’t sweat. When pressure’s coming, don’t even blink. Just do what you’ve got to do. Be yourself.

“That’s just the motto in life: Don’t even blink. With anything in life, attack it.”

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