Maurkice Pouncey
| No. 53 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||
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| Position: | Center | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | July 24, 1989 Ardmore, Oklahoma | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2010 / round: 1 / pick: 18 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2011 | |||||||
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LaShawn Maurkice Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is an American football center for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Florida.
Early years
Pouncey was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma.[1] He attended Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a standout lineman for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.[2] As a senior in 2006, he helped lead Lakeland High to its third consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship and second straight USA Today national championship.[2]
College career
Pouncey received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[2] where he played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2007 to 2009.[3] As a freshman in 2007, Pouncey started 11 of 13 games for the Gators at right guard.[2] As a sophomore in 2008, he started all 14 of the Gators' games at center, including the BCS National Championship Game against Oklahoma, and he was an honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection.[2] As a junior in 2009, he was a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus All-American, receiving first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and second-team honors from the Associated Press.[3][4]
Maurkice was awarded the Rimington Trophy in 2009.
After his junior season, Pouncey decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.[5]
Allegation
Florida and the NCAA are investigating an allegation that Pouncey received $100,000 from a representative of a sports agent between Florida's loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game and its 2010 Sugar Bowl win over Cincinnati. The alleged representative was not named.[6] On July 21, 2010, Pouncey released a statement calling the claim that he received $100,000 "absolutely ridiculous." [7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) |
304 lb (138 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
5.29 s | 4.92 s | 7.74 s | 26 in (0.66 m) |
7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) |
27 reps | |||
| Stats from NFL Scouting Combine and/or Florida pro-day[8] | ||||||||||||
The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Pouncey in the first round (18th pick overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. His rookie year, he started in all 16 games played at the center position, and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Personal
Pouncey's identical twin brother Mike Pouncey was selected 15th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 NFL Draft. He is one minute younger than Mike.[9]
See also
- 2008 Florida Gators football team
- 2009 College Football All-America Team
- Florida Gators
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft picks
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers players
References
- ^ National Football League, Current Players, Maurkice Pouncey. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e GatorZone.com, Football History, 2009 Roster, Maurkice Pouncey. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ a b 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 89, 95, 97, 98, 101, 103, 106, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- ^ 2010 Division I Football Records Book, Award Winners and All-Americans, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 12 & 13 (2010). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Dunlap, Maurkice Pouncey to enter draft," ESPN (January 11, 2010). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Chuck Finder, "NCAA investigating Steelers' Pouncey," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (July 20, 2010). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Will Brinson, "Pouncey calls NCAA claim "absolutely ridiculous," CBS Sports (July 21, 2010). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Steelers 2010 Draft Picks Combine Pro Day Numbers Stats," SteelersDepot.com (April 26, 2010). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Dave Curtis, "Identical twins Mike and Maurkice Pouncey will make formidable front for UF foes," TCPALM (April 11, 2008). Retrieved August 18, 2011.