of the regular season in order to develop his own identity. He also took 55 in honor of his childhood hero, Junior Seau. He finished the preseason as the team's leading tackler, recording 22 total tackles (18 solo). He also recorded a team-high four sacks and forced a fumble. He went on to excel on special teams during the 1999 season, with his time on defense increasing as the year went on. His first career sack came on Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch on September 12, when he also forced a fumble on the play. He partially deflected a punt against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 2. In the season finale against the Tennessee Titans, Porter accumulated six tackles and a sack. He also forced and recovered a Neil O'Donnell fumble and returned it 46 yards for a score. In 2000, Porter finished second behind Jason Gildon and set a career-high with 10.5 sacks on the year. He and Gildon also tied a franchise record with 24 sacks as a duo. On the year, he registered 74 tackle (51 solo), one interception, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was voted the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in October. Against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 15, he registered eight tackles (seven solo), three sacks including one for a safety, four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He had five tackles and two sacks in a game against the Baltimore Ravens two games later. Porter's first career interception came against the Tennessee Titans on November 5 on a pass from Steve McNair. His second career touchdown came on a 32-yard fumble recovery against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 12. He closed out the season with 1.5 sacks against the San Diego Chargers on December 24. During the September 17 game against the rival Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Porter tackled punter Chris Gardocki while Gardocki was trying to punt the ball. While Porter would be penalized for roughing the punter, Gardocki briefly laid motionless, then subsequently flipped the middle finger twice to Steelers head coach Bill Cowher. The incident, caught on live television, resulted in a $5,000 fine for Gardocki. The two would later be teammates with the Steelers from 2004–2006. Porter had a career day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 21, 2001, recording six tackles, four sacks and a pass deflected while earning American