Joey Porter

	Joey Porter. Peter Read Miller/SI

As told to Jeffri Chadiha

In this month's whirlwind of NFL player relocations, no move was more surprising than that of three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Joey Porter, a career Steeler who was cut by the team on March 2. Four days later the Dolphins gave Porter, one of two NFLers ever to have 60 sacks and 10 interceptions, a five-year, $32 million deal. The 6'3", 250-pound Porter, 30, a magnet for controversy on the field and off, is apparently not about to change his ways -- he was cited for punching the Bengals' 6'7", 305-pound Levi Jones at the Palms in Las Vegas last Saturday, one of the rare things that, at SI's press time, Porter wouldn't talk about.

On being a Dolphin

It's a great situation. They're trying to win a championship now -- they never talked about rebuilding when I met with them. We had a short meeting, and everything that they said sounded good. Coach [Dom] Capers [Miami's defensive coordinator] has always used the 3-4 defense, and he wanted to have a dominant pass rusher to get things going on the other side of [NFL Defensive Player of the Year] Jason Taylor. I can be that guy who makes an impact.

On why he didn't take more time to investigate the market

I didn't want one of those fly-all-over-the-world recruiting trips. I wanted to know who wanted me. When we started to seriously look at Miami, we thought the Bengals would respond faster, but they didn't get back to my agent until six hours later. I had to decide: Wait for Cincinnati to get involved in a bidding war, or go with a team that had presented me with a good situation? I felt comfortable with the Dolphins.

On getting cut by the Steelers

It wasn't a shock; they couldn't pay me what I was worth. The hard part is leaving the players. That was my locker room. Those were my guys. But this is a business, and the sooner you realize that, the easier it is to avoid being hurt. I'll say this: What I did in Pittsburgh can't be replaced. They know it, and I know it. They might get somebody who can perform on the field, but they won't get somebody who brings the same presence to that team.

On his infamous pregame fight with then Browns back William Green in 2004

Green came across the 50-yard line and charged me. I had to protect myself, but I became the bad guy because I won the fight.

On being fined last year for using a homosexual slur to describe Browns tight end Kellen Winslow

That's all on me. I was so frustrated by him [Winslow had put a late hit on Steelers linebacker James Farrior] that I used a word I shouldn't have used. Where I grew up [in Bakersfield, Calif.], that was a word meant to say a guy is soft. I should've just said he was soft. But I wanted to cut him so deep that I did something wrong.

On his relationship with former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher

He understood me. I play with emotion. When I came to Pittsburgh [in 1999], I was on special teams and scout teams, and I wanted to play so bad. So I picked fights with [running back] Jerome Bettis in practice. He was a future Hall of Famer, but I didn't care. I knew I could play, and I wanted people to know I wasn't intimidated. I think Coach Cowher looked at me and thought, This guy isn't afraid to go after anybody.