The Steelers Hall of Honor was created to recognize individuals who haven't just made an impact on the organization, but went above and beyond, whether it was on or off the field.

When the Steelers take on the Miami Dolphins this week, the newest additions to the group will be recognized when the Hall of Honor Class of 2025 is introduced at halftime, after officially being enshrined at a dinner at Acrisure Stadium the night before.

The Hall of Honor Class of 2025 includes three individuals who were part of Super Bowl seasons for the Steelers, with two of them part of the same championship team.

Linebacker Joey Porter Sr., center Maurkice Pouncey and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger complete a class that brought plenty of glory to the black and gold.

"It's special to welcome a group of guys that mean so much to Steelers football, mean so much to our fans," said Steelers President Art Rooney II. "These three guys made a difference for us over the course of their careers. So, this is a pretty special group and belong in the Hall of Honor with the rest of the others."

The team introduced the Hall of Honor in 2017, an idea that came from Steelers President Art Rooney II, along with late Chairman Dan Rooney. The Hall of Honor was established to recognize former players, coaches, and front office personnel who played an integral role in the success of the franchise, from the beginning in 1933 until now. To be considered, a player must be retired at least three years and played a minimum of three seasons for the Steelers. Former coaches and contributors had to make significant contributions to the team and community.

The Hall of Honor display is part of the Steelers Hall of Honor Museum, which is located at Acrisure Stadium, near Gate B above the team's Pro Shop. Fans can visit the Steelers Hall of Honor Museum year-round.

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Joey Porter Sr.
Linebacker
1999-2006

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.

And now, he is forever a part of the team's legacy as a member of the Hall of Honor.

"It's called the Hall of Honor for a reason," said Porter. "It's an honor to be in it. To be mentioned with all the guys that played before me that are in the Hall of Honor is special. Being in Pittsburgh, you know the tradition and what it means to play for the Steelers.

"So just to always be mentioned amongst the greats, that's what makes it amazing. It's an honor."

Porter brought his passion 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 with the Steelers. 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. 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."

Maurkice Pouncey
Center
2010-2020

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.

"It's surreal, especially with all the great guys that came before me," said Pouncey of being selected to the Hall of Honor. "It was a proud moment when I found out I was selected, and I am forever grateful."

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.

"It was bigger than just football playing for the Steelers, just because the organization, what it means to me, to the Rooney family," said Pouncey. "For them to take that big of a chance on me in the first round and completely take me under their wings, it was more than football. This is a family organization, and I am forever indebted to the Rooney family for bringing me here."

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 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'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.

Ben Roethlisberger
Quarterback
2004-2021

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.

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.

And his selection to the Hall of Honor is his first year of eligibility is only natural.

"All the legends that came through this organization before me, whose names are on that Hall of Honor and Hall of Fame wall," started Roethlisberger. "To be able to put my name with them is truly humbling. It's such an honor and to play all 18 seasons with one team and it to be the Steelers has meant so much to me.

"There's no franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers and never will be in all of sports. I don't know when I first got here if I knew exactly what that meant, but it didn't take long for me to realize how special the organization is and what it means to play here."

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 regular season record as a starter, taking the team all the way to the AFC Championship game.

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.

In his second season he took it one step further, guiding the Steelers to a Super Bowl XL win, which included winning three games on the road in the postseason, and even making a tackle (following a Bettis lost fumble), that saved the postseason run.

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, 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, and 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 quarter 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."

The 2021 season was one filled with NFL milestones for Roethlisberger, with him reaching new heights in multiple categories week after week.

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 Heinz Field (Acrisure Stadium).

"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."