In honor of the 2026 NFL Draft being held in Pittsburgh, we are highlighting the day members of the Hall of Honor were drafted by the Steelers.
The feature will run from April 17-May 1, featuring some of the team's most iconic players.
Today we feature Ben Roethlisberger, Dermontti Dawson and Jason Gildon
April 24
Ben Roethlisberger
Quarterback
2004-2021
Drafted April 24, 2024
Ben Roethlisberger played in more games in Steelers' history than any other player, with 249 under his belt, but that number ended when Roethlisberger announced his retirement after 18 remarkable seasons in the black and gold.
"I don't know how to put into words what the game of football has meant to me and what a blessing it has been," said Roethlisberger in a retirement message. "While I know with confidence I have given my all to the game, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all it has given me.
"A boy from Findlay, Ohio with NFL dreams, developed in Oxford at Miami University. Blessed with the honor of 18 seasons as a Pittsburgh Steeler and a place to call home. The journey has been exhilarating, defined by relationships and fueled by a spirit of competition."
With Roethlisberger at quarterback, the Steelers had 12 postseason berths, won eight AFC North Championships, appeared in five AFC Championship games, and went to three Super Bowls, winning two of them.
Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl when the team won Super Bowl XL, when he was 23, and the second-youngest quarterback to ever win a second Super Bowl when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII.
Roethlisberger was the Steelers first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Miami of Ohio, the 11th overall pick. He stepped into the starting lineup early, starting in Week 2 of the 2004 season after Tommy Maddox was injured. He led the team to a 13-0 record as a starter, taking the team all the way to the AFC Championship game.
It wouldn't take long for Roethlisberger to get the Steelers right back on top again, leading the team to a win in Super Bowl XLIII (2008), with a remarkable pass to Santonio Holmes in the final minute to secure the victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
The two-time Super Bowl champion holds numerous Steelers' records, including passing yards, completions, attempts, completion percentage, passing touchdowns, passing touchdowns of at least 60 yards, passer rating, yards per attempt, 300-yard passing games and 3,000-yard passing seasons, as well as games played.
Roethlisberger oozed confidence when he took the field and when it came to the fourth quarter, and the game was on the line, he shined the brightest. He had 53 game-winning drives, tied for third all-time in the NFL in that category. He also orchestrated 41 fourth quarterback comebacks.
"For me it felt like we always had a chance when Ben was in the huddle," said former tight end Heath Miller, who was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, one year after Roethlisberger arrived. "It didn't matter the talent around. We always had a chance no matter who we were playing because he was in the huddle. He had that confidence, something you have to have at that position. Everyone believed in him."
Roethlisberger joined an elite fraternity when he threw his 400th career touchdown pass in 2021. Roethlisberger joined a group that includes Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers. Roethlisberger also hit the 3,000-yard plateau for the 15th time in his career in 2021, only the sixth player in NFL history to do so.
But there is one stat that really hits home for him. And home is the key word.
Roethlisberger is ranked third in the NFL for most wins in one stadium in NFL history, with 92 wins under his belt at Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field).
"That's the one that means the most to me because it's about wins and winning is all I've ever really cared about and tried to do," said Roethlisberger. "It's not an individual thing. It's about wins and that to me is special."
Dermontti Dawson
Center
1998-2000
Drafted April 24, 1988
It's not often a player comes along who has the ability to redefine the way a position is played. And lucky for the Steelers, when Dermontti Dawson came along, he did just that, which eventually earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2012.
"What Dermontti did, which is what Mel Blount did, was change the game," said former Steelers running back Merril Hoge, who played with Dawson from 1989-93. "You never had a center pull until Dermontti Dawson. He revolutionized and changed how teams ran the football in the NFL.
"I played with Mike Webster in my first year with the Steelers, and I never thought I would be able to say someone was better than Mike Webster at center. But Dermontti changed how we ran the ball. Who knows if the Steelers would have evolved to where they are today in terms of running the football? It was because of him."
Hoge left the Steelers for the Chicago Bears via free agency following the 1993 season, and when he arrived there the coaches picked his brain about what made the Steelers running game so successful.
"When I went to Chicago they asked me to show them how we ran the football," said Hoge. "I drew it up and said, 'We pull the center.' They said, 'We can't do that.' I told them, 'Well then you can't run the ball like we did it in Pittsburgh.'"
Dawson was drafted by the Steelers in the second round in 1988 from Kentucky. He played his entire 13-year career with the Steelers, and he took over for Mike Webster at center in his second season and remained a dominant force at the position throughout his career.
It wasn't an easy task replacing the legendary Webster, but Dawson's unique talents and leadership ability made him the perfect fit.
Dawson was without a doubt one of the most athletic offensive linemen in NFL history, and he was durable and dependable as well, as his streak of 170 consecutive games played – second most in Steelers history – proves.
Dawson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was a first-team All-Pro six times. He was also named to the NFL's Team of the Decade for the 1990s.
"Dermontti could just crank you," said late Steelers tackle Tunch Ilkin, who played with Dawson from 1988-92. "He had the ability, the explosive strength and the athleticism to do it, to just knock guys out. He also had that stability to take on guys. He was strong enough to just absorb a 320-pound nose tackle and not give ground."
Ilkin has seen his share of great centers, also having played with Webster, a Hall of Famer, and he also watched Dwight Stephenson, another Hall of Famer, who played for the Dolphins in the 1980s.
"The argument used to be back in the early 1980s about who was better, Mike Webster or Dwight Stephenson," said Ilkin. "Dwight was a great center because he was so athletic. Webbie was a great center because he was so strong and tough and smart.
"You put those two guys together and you have Dermontti Dawson."
Jason Gildon
Linebacker
1994-2003
Drafted April 24, 1994
His name sits just above two legends on the Steelers all-time sack list, two men who made the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s what it was.
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Jason Gildon, the linebacker who was drafted in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft, has 77 career sacks, ranking him fourth overall in Steelers history, ahead of legends L.C. Greenwood (fifth with 73.5 sacks) and Joe Greene (sixth with 66 sacks). He also ranks among the Steelers leaders with 58 tackles for a loss and 18 forced fumbles.
Gildon played 10 seasons with the Steelers, making an unforgettable impact on the defense, which included three defensive touchdowns. During his time with the Steelers the team won six division titles, an AFC Championship, and played in Super Bowl XXX, where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.
He earned First-Team Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2001, when he recorded 12 sacks, along with 56 tackles, 43 of them solo stops, 15 tackles for a loss, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown, and an interception.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl three straight seasons (2000-2002). In his first Pro Bowl season in 2000, he recorded career highs with 13.5 sacks and 77 tackles, 58 of them solo stops. He also added five passes defensed, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown.
Of his 77 career sacks, one that really stands out to him is his first of his rookie season, when he sacked future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.
"My first one was the most memorable for me, a young kid getting the opportunity to play against the Miami Dolphins and to be able to have a sack against Dan Marino, Hall of Famer and local guy," said Gildon. "That's definitely one that stood out for me."
Gildon's love for his time with the Steelers and in Pittsburgh had him remain in the area after his playing days ended, where he coached high school football for multiple years and now works as the compliance director for the Jasmine Nyree Campus, co-founded by his former teammate Joey Porter.
"I don't think there's another organization quite like this one," Gildon previously said of the Steelers. "Even if you take away the success that we've been able to have, our fans are great, we are tremendous in the way we travel. We always have a presence.
"Coming in and looking at the tradition and history of the organization, it was a phenomenal experience for me."
April 23
Carnell Lake
Safety/Cornerback
1989-98
Drafted April 23, 1989
Carnell Lake exemplified what it meant to be a team player from the time he arrived with the Steelers as a second-round draft pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and it was an approach that stuck throughout his career, on display on the biggest stage in 1995.
Rod Woodson, the future Hall of Fame cornerback, tore his ACL in the season opener of the 1995 season. A struggling Steelers team sat at 3-4, without a true replacement for Woodson at that point. Coach Bill Cowher knew there was just one option. Carnell Lake. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau ended up calling Lake on an off time to tell him the plan, and the following morning Lake was at Three Rivers Stadium before 6 a.m. to learn his new spot. The mid-season move paid off as the Steelers advanced to Super Bowl XXX, with the secondary being a key to the success.
"I had mixed emotions about it," said Lake about making the move. "One, I was upset because we knew we were turning into a good team. It was the start of the 1995 season, and we opened against Detroit. Rod Woodson went down with an injury. That was a big letdown for the whole team. He was one of our star players. We felt good as a defense having a player like that. When he went down it took the air out of us.
"We went another six games before Coach LeBeau came to me on a Sunday night and said we have been trying to fill Rod's shoes and it's not working. He asked me if I would be willing to move to corner. I said, I am not sure, why don't I practice corner for the week and on Friday let's talk about it and see if it's something we still want to do. By Friday, after practicing there for a few days, I felt like I can do this.
"That Sunday I was playing corner. We played Cleveland. That was my first game at corner. It was non-eventful. I thought this corner stuff isn't so bad. Then we went to Cincinnati and we played against a bunch of Pro Bowl wide receivers and it was a different game. I was taken to task out there. I had a bad game, and I was sitting on the bench and Coach Cowher came up to me and said corners have to have a short memory. That right there freed me from the levity of it all, the burden of making the change. I thought after that corners are going to get beat occasionally, it comes with the position. I took off after that."
Lake's efforts didn't go unnoticed, as he was voted to the Pro Bowl four consecutive years, 1994-97, including making it as a cornerback in 1995 and 1997. He was also voted Associated Press first-team All-Pro in 1997. He became the first defensive back to lead the Steelers in sacks in a season (six) in 1997 and finished his career with 25 sacks and 16 interceptions.
"I played with some of the best players that have ever played the game," said Lake. "I played in a city that has a history of winning. A fan base that is probably the best in the NFL by far, around the world.
I couldn't have asked for a better experience."
Heath Miller
Tight End
2005-2015
Drafted April 23, 2005
When you think of Steelers tight ends, the first name that comes to mind is no doubt, Heath Miller.
Or should I say, 'Heeeeath.'
Miller was the Steelers No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Miller, who played 11 seasons, started 167 of 168 games played during the regular season, and he started all 15 postseason contests that he played in. Miller's 168 regular-season games played are the most by a tight end in Steelers' history.
He was someone who could be depended on, and someone Steelers Nation adored, noticeable every time he caught the ball when they broke out into a unified 'Heeeeeath' roar.
As great a player that he was, he never looked at himself as a superstar, never sought out the spotlight, never patted himself on the back.
When he retired in 2015, he didn't want any fanfare, instead just releasing a statement.
"Today, I informed the Steelers of my plans to retire," Miller's statement read. "I realize how extremely fortunate and grateful I am to have spent my entire career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. I would like to thank the Rooney Family, Kevin Colbert, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, James Daniel and the rest of the Steelers organization for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. I will always cherish and value the special bonds that I formed with my teammates. It was truly an honor for me to take the field with them. I am also appreciative of my entire family and all of the coaches who helped me along the way. Additionally, I want to thank Steelers Nation, the best fans in the NFL.
"Lastly, I owe the biggest thank you to my wife, Katie, and our four children for their unwavering support."
And with that, the best tight end in Steelers' history quietly stepped away from the game.
But what he did for the team, will remain forever.
Miller retired as the all-time leader in receptions (592), receiving yards (6,569) and receiving touchdowns (45) by a tight end. He was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl XL and XLIII Championship teams, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and team MVP in 2012.
"His talent. His commitment. His drive, determination," said former Coach Mike Tomlin, who coached Miller from 2007-15. "The day-to-day example he set for others. The legacy that is his career will touch us and specifically the tight end position here in Pittsburgh for a long, long time. I imagine there will be guys that reflect and represent his values for years to come. Impactful guys like him always do."
April 22
Maurkice Pouncey
Center
2010-2020
Drafted April 22, 2010
The center position for the Pittsburgh Steelers is one that has been built on consistency.
There is a legacy, handed down from players through the decades, players like Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson, the best of the best who are immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Maurkice Pouncey's name is right up there with the best of them, and he will forever be remembered with the top centers ever to wear the black and gold.
Pouncey announced his retirement following the 2020 season after an illustrious 11-year career with the Steelers, one filled with honors and accolades while he, like Webster and Dawson before him, led the way for the offensive line.
Pouncey made an impact on and off the field, and Steelers President Art Rooney II issued the following statement when Pouncey retired.
"I want to thank Maurkice for his outstanding efforts both on and off the field over the past 11 years," said Rooney. "He was an amazing teammate and leader that so many looked up to throughout his playing career."
Pouncey was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 18th overall pick. Shortly after Pouncey arrived at Saint Vincent College for his rookie training camp, he earned the starting job, and he held it from that day until he decided to end his NFL career.
In his rookie season he would stabilize a position previously held by journeymen Sean Mahan and Justin Hartwig for a team that went on to reach Super Bowl XLV. Pouncey was unable to play in the Super Bowl after injuring an ankle in the AFC Championship Game victory over the New York Jets. He won the Joe Greene Great Performance Award that season, given annually to the team's Rookie of the Year by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America, to become the first offensive lineman to win it since 2000.
Pouncey didn't need much time to establish himself as a starter in the NFL, and he quickly built on his growing resume. He became the first center in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons (2010-12) and went on to be a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, including in 2020. He was twice voted first-team Associated Press All-Pro (2011, 2014) and was a second-team AP All-Pro selection three times (2010, 2012 and 2018).
Pouncey was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade team for the 2010s, an honor Webster earned in the 1970s and 1980s, with a spot on an All-Decade team typically leading to being enshrined in Canton.
Pouncey was a steady leader on offense, someone who guided the younger players while still showing a shining example for even the most seasoned veterans. It was that leadership that had his teammates select him as an offensive team captain four times (2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020).
Pouncey's love for the game was only matched by his love for giving back to the community, and was the Steelers nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2019. He and his twin brother, Mike, started the Team Pouncey Foundation, which gave back to those in Pittsburgh and his hometown of Lakeland, Florida, by hosting free football and cheerleading camps for kids to give them a stepping-stone to the future.
In Pittsburgh, Pouncey's passions were making sure people didn't suffer from food insecurity, and providing opportunities to young people to connect with law enforcement to foster strong relationships between the groups. His three main areas of focus were the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Urban Impact Foundation and working with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
April 21
Casey Hampton
Nose Tackle
2001-12
Drafted April 21, 2001
Casey Hampton is a guy who is quick with a smile and a laugh, an infectious laugh that comes from deep down and makes everyone else smile right along with him.
"He is a great guy," said John Mitchell, the Steelers' former assistant head coach/defensive line coach, who was Hampton's line coach. "Even when I got mad at Casey, I couldn't get mad at him I had a great relationship with all of the players during Casey's time. With Casey, we had a different type of relationship. They would always say Casey has a special place in my heart and he does.
"I got to know Casey on more than a player and coach relationship. It was like a father and son relationship. Casey would come to me at times, and we all had problems. Casey gave everything he had. Everything he had he shared with people he cared about."
When the Steelers selected Casey Hampton in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, they knew they had a player who would give the defense a huge lift, be a staple on the defensive line and be a player they could always depend on.
What they got was a whole lot more. They got a player that gave them his heart and soul.
Hampton played 12 seasons for the Steelers, starting 164 of the 173 games he played in. He finished with 403 tackles, 272 of them solo stops, and nine and a half sacks. He added five forced fumbles, four pass defenses, and two fumble recoveries.
As part of a Steelers defense that dominated opponents, during Hampton's time in the black and gold the team played in the postseason eight times and won their division six times. Hampton also was part of three Super Bowl teams with the Steelers, including a two-time champion in Super Bowl XL and XLIII.
Hampton was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was voted MVP by his teammates in 2005 along with Hines Ward. He was also a member of the Steelers 75th Anniversary Team during the 2007 season, quite an honor considering the other defensive linemen were Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Stautner and Dwight White.
"I can remember when Coach (Bill) Cowher and I went down to Texas to work him out," recalled Mitchell. "The day we worked him out you could tell there was something special about him.
"Being a nose tackle in a 3-4 is a dirty job. It's really dirty. The thing you have to realize about Casey that made him special, if you look back at the guys we had that played inside linebacker, that went to the Pro Bowl year in and year out, they are good football players. But the reason they went is they had a nose tackle that took up three guys on almost every play and made their job really easy.
"Casey was special because if you didn't double team him, or triple team him, he would take over the game. The ball would not get to the second level, which is to the linebackers. If you did that, that made the inside linebackers really good. Look at how many linebackers made the Pro Bowl and that will tell you what kind of player Casey was."
April 18
Alan Faneca
Guard
1998-2007
Drafted April 18, 1998
Alan Faneca was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft and went on to have a Hall of Fame career, elected as a member of the Class of 2021.
Faneca, a first team All-Pro selection an impressive six times (2001-02, 2004-07) and twice a second team selection (2003, 2008), played 10 seasons for the black and gold (1998-2007), and 13 overall in the NFL (New York Jets 2008-09 and Arizona Cardinals 2010).
"His ability to play that position, dominate at that position, but be athletic enough to move around and travel from the standpoint of pulling as an offensive lineman was rare," said Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis. "Usually when you do it, it doesn't end in success. When Alan pulled, we had a tremendous amount of success with our ability to pull."
Faneca was a member of the Super Bowl XL Championship team, and during his time the Steelers won four division titles and won at least 10 games in five of his seasons. He was selected to nine Pro Bowls and was also named to the Steelers All-Time Team in 2007 and the NFL 2000's All-Decade Team.
Faneca was a key to the Steelers ground game, blocking for teams that finished among the NFL's Top-10 in rushing 11 times, and blocking for nine 1,000-yard rushers and five 3,000-yard passers.
Hines Ward
Wide Receiver
1998-2011
Drafted April 18, 1998
Former Steelers receiver Hines Ward was selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Georgia and went on to have a stellar career for the Steelers.
Ward, who was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist for the 10th straight time this year (2017-26), played 14 seasons for the Steelers, and is a player many believe should be in the Hall of Fame.
"Hines Ward is a Hall of Fame player because number one, he had a tremendous impact on the game," said Hall of Fame Coach Bill Cowher. "His numbers may not be what they are to other people because he played in an offense where he wasn't going to be asked to catch the ball. He was asked a lot to block. We had one of the best running games in my 15 years here, and Hines Ward was a big part of that. He was a guy that every defense knew where he was, every defensive safety knew where he was.
"His impact as a blocker, his impact as a player who can make clutch plays at clutch times. He could play inside. He could play outside. A versatile guy who lined up every snap. He was consistent, he was productive over a long period of time. There's no question in my mind that Hines Ward, don't just look at the numbers, but his impact on the field, what he did to the game, he was a difference maker. And everyone knew and understood where he was. To me, that's a Hall of Fame player."
Ward had 1,000 career receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns. His versatility was always on display with his blocking ability always a shining example of that.
"When you look at his career, he got caught in two different eras," said Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis. "But he was one of the best ever to be in the era that I played in, in terms of being a receiver who was physical, who could block, who could do everything. He was also a deep threat. He could literally do it all.
"The one thing I think people look at now is the numbers and the amount of catches and yards. But Hines Ward was much more than that. I think he's not getting a fair look because of what the numbers have gone to in this new era.
"He was one of the best to ever do it. He played in a physical era where the wide receiver had to be the blocker, the receiver, the deep threat. He had to do it all, and he could do it. That's what made him so special. He got caught in the last part of his career in the numbers era where all these receivers are having a hundred catches for 1,500, 1,600 yards. But they're not doing the things that Hines was doing.
"When you look at his career in full totality, he was one of the special few receivers who had the ability to do it all, and highlighting the fact that he was the most ferocious blocking receiver that I believe the NFL has ever seen. You put all that in one package, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
Ward was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after leading the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In three Super Bowls, Ward registered 14 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers 2008 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, Ward was named to four Pro Bowls (2002-05) and was a member of the team's 75th Season All-Time Team. Ward was selected by his teammates as the Steelers MVP three times in his career, including 2002 along with Joey Porter, 2003, and 2005 with Casey Hampton.
"When you talk about a guy that gave everything to his team and wanted to get in the end zone every time he touched the ball, whether it was on the 20-yard line or the one-yard line, he was going to find a way to get in the end zone for his team," said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "He did all the small things. He blocked. The things that aren't in stats are what he did. He attracted attention. He found ways to get his teammates open. He blocked for them when they got the ball. He blocked in the run game. The things that Hines Ward did are Hall of Fame caliber worthy play.
"He was a guy when you threw him the ball, he was going to make the play, and he wasn't going to just catch it, he was going to get extra yards, he was going to get you a first down, and he was going to find a way to get in the end zone. And as a quarterback, you find Hines Ward, and you give him the ball, and you just sit back and watch."
Aaron Smith
Defensive End
1999-2011
Drafted April 18, 1999
When Aaron Smith retired from the Steelers, he simply wanted to quietly walk away from the game, no fanfare, no attention.
It was typical of Smith, who didn't like the spotlight, but loved the game.
The Steelers, though, were able to convince Smith to join three of his former teammates, Willie Parker, Joey Porter and Marvel Smith, for a ceremony during the team's training camp where the four of them shared the stage to say goodbye to Steelers Nation.
And it was a salute that Smith deserved.
"It was big," said Smith at the time of his retirement. "First of all, it's the greatest organization in professional sports. Just the way they handle things, do business, the record speaks for itself and the fans, to be a part of something and to finish it is great.
"There are people who would dream of being on this team their entire career. Guys come back to retire. It's a special place and to be a part of that is special."
Smith was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, the 109th overall pick, and went on to play 13 seasons. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion, playing on the Super Bowl XL and XLIII teams. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and was named to the Sports Illustrated 2000s All-Decade Team.
Smith, who played his entire career in black and gold, finished with 44 sacks while playing in 160 games, starting 152 of them. He added nine fumble recoveries and seven forced fumbles, along with one interception.
In addition to his on-field contributions, Smith showed his vulnerable side when he revealed his son, Elijah, was undergoing treatment for leukemia during his playing days. Smith didn't just share the story, but also shared his passion for helping those fighting the same disease as the family participated in the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk along with teammates, family, friends and Steelers staff, celebrating Elijah being a survivor year after year.
"I don't think we can have enough awareness," said Smith at the time. "I was naïve before I went through this. I don't think another family or child should have to go through this. I don't think we can bring enough awareness to this."
April 17
Joey Porter Sr.
Linebacker
1999-2006
Drafted April 17, 1999
He was the heart and soul of the defense during his eight seasons with the Steelers, always bringing energy and tenacity to the field.
Joey Porter Sr. had a passion for football from the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh as a third-round draft pick in 1999.
He brought that to the field every game from his rookie season until his final game with the Steelers in 2006, and beyond when he went on to play for the Miami Dolphins (2007-09) and Arizona Cardinals (2010-11).
But no matter where he ended up, his heart was always in Pittsburgh, coming back to retire with the team.
"It meant everything to play for the Steelers," said Porter. "I used to watch the Steelers when I was younger. I watched all those guys. Once I got here some of those guys were still in the locker room and that was amazing too. I loved it here.
"That tradition of being a Steeler is something you can't explain. You realize it when you go somewhere else and play for a different organization. I played for some other organizations that were great, but it's nothing like Pittsburgh. It's nothing like coming home. When you come home you realize what you had when you left. I loved every moment when I was here. I loved every minute of wearing that black and gold jersey.
"I knew when I left, I would retire a Steeler. When you say Joey Porter, you think Pittsburgh. I feel like I am a Steeler."
Porter made three Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl while a member of the Steelers and was named to their all-time team. He added another Pro Bowl berth during his three years with the Dolphins before knee injuries sapped him of his skills over the last two years with Arizona. Porter was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s and finished with 98 career sacks.
Porter spent five seasons on the Steelers coaching staff after his retirement, including four as the team's outside linebackers coach (2015-18).
The highlight of his career was being a part of the Super Bowl XL Championship team and everything that went along with it.
"The 2005 run we went on to win Super Bowl XL," said Porter. "That is by far the best memory of my football playing career.
"We were coming off a 15-1 season, lost in the AFC Championship game the year before. We knew we had a strong team. We had some lulls in the season where we weren't where we wanted to be. We knew we couldn't lose, or it would be over.
"We hit a stretch where we got hot at the right time. That made everything come together. Everybody relied on everybody to do their job. It came together like it was supposed to.
"It was Jerome's (Bettis) last year. It made everything worth it once everybody put their hand in the pile, dug deep and realized this is the last time we were going to play with each other. It didn't matter who we were going to play, we were walking into stadiums with so much confidence because we knew we were going to win. It was surreal at times."
