LaShawn Maurkice Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

who played 11 seasons for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, where he was a member of a BCS National Championship team, recognized as a consensus All-American, and won the 2009

Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College F ...

, awarded annually to the best college football center. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

. Pouncey was a nine-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

er and named to five

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...

teams, and was also named to the

NFL 2010s All-Decade Team The National Football League 2010s All-Decade Team is composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the ten years spanning 2010–2019. Only a player or coach's performance during the decade was used as criteria for vot ...

. He is the twin brother of former NFL center

Mike Pouncey James Michael Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is a former American football center who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, was a member of a BCS National Championship ...

Early years

Pouncey was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma.National Football League, Current Players
Maurkice Pouncey
Retrieved May 6, 2011. He attended Lakeland High School in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

, where he was a standout lineman for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.GatorZone.com, Football History, 2009 Roster
Maurkice Pouncey
. Retrieved May 6, 2011. 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 A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. Considered a four-star recruit by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, Pouncey was listed as the No. 15 offensive guard in the nation in 2007. He chose Florida over offers from

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

, Clemson,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, and

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

College career

Pouncey accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach

Urban Meyer Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...

Florida Gators football The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division o ...

team from 2007 to 2009.
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. Pouncey began attending the

early in 2007. His twin brother Mike would also join the Gators, playing defensive line his first season to help an injury-riddled defense. Pouncey saw action at right guard and center his freshman year. He started the season at right guard for the season opener against

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

, becoming only the seventh true freshman in team history to do so. In a week 6 loss to No. 6

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

, he would have a grade of 86%. The next week he would have a grade of 85% while the Gators would upset the No. 8

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. On November 3, 2007, he would again get a champion grade of 83% in a win over Vanderbilt. He finished the season starting 11 games at right guard and playing in all 13.

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

and ''

College Football News ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includ ...

'' selected him as a freshman first-team All-American and he would also be voted to the Freshman All-SEC team by the coaches and ''Sporting News''. Beginning in 2008, Pouncey became the full-time starting center for Florida next to his twin brother Mike at right guard. He compiled six games with a grade of 90% or better. The first came in week 3 against

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, where he would have a grade of 93%. In week 6 he was recognized as the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. Pouncey would have a season-high grade of 97% against LSU and then 98% the next game against Kentucky. While playing

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

he would have a grade of 90, his last above that mark for the season. The Gators would go on to win the

SEC Championship The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...

and then defeat

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

to win the FedEx BCS National Championship. In the season opener against

Charleston Southern Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a private Baptist university in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention). History Charleston Southern University was ch ...

, he began 2009 with a grade of 98% and had two knockdowns in the game. The next week, he would again post a grade of 98% in a victory over

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

. In the first SEC game of the year, Pouncey would play 61 snaps and receive a grade of 93% for the game. During the week 4 match-up against Kentucky, he would end with a grade of 90% and receive Champion Club Honors. On October 10, Florida traveled to

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...

to face No. 4 LSU. He would have a season-high grade of 99% in the 13–3 victory over the Tigers. His 28th consecutive start would also be his last game at the Swamp. The Gators would go on to defeat

, 37–10. After going undefeated the entire regular season, the Gators would lose to No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship. His last game would be the 2010 AllState

Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...

against No. 4 Cincinnati and he would finish his season with an average grade of 91.5% and 30 knockdowns. Pouncey won the Rimington Award, becoming Florida's first player to do so. He was also voted a first-team All-American by CBSsports.com, Sporting News, Football Weekly, and

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

. He finished his career with 39 starts in 41 games played. After his junior season, he entered the

NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

Professional career

Pouncey entered the

as the consensus No. 1 center available, ahead of Matt Tennant,

J. D. Walton Justin Daniel Walton (born March 24, 1987) is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft and has also played for the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, and New York Giants ...

, and Eric Olsen. The

chose Pouncey in the first round (18th pick overall). He was the highest selected center since

Damien Woody Damien Michael Woody (born November 3, 1977) is a former American football offensive guard who played for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Boston ...

. On July 30, 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Pouncey to a five-year, $14.80 million contract with $7.94 million guaranteed. In his rookie year, he started in all 16 games played at the center position, and was selected to the

. Additionally, in accordance with his exceptional play as a center during his rookie year, he received 2 votes (out of 50) for the

National Football League Rookie of the Year Award Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...

. In the AFC championship game during Pouncey's rookie year, Pouncey injured his ankle during the win and was not able to play in the Super Bowl. The Steelers would go on to lose the Super Bowl to the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

. Pouncey played 14 games in 2011 then 15 games in 2012. Both those years, he was a Pro Bowl selection. In Week 1 of the 2013 season, Pouncey tore his right ACL and MCL after Steelers guard

David DeCastro David William DeCastro (born January 11, 1990) is a former American football guard. He played college football for Stanford University, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the first round of the 20 ...

accidentally dove into Pouncey's right leg while trying to assist Pouncey in blocking

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve, ending his season. On June 12, 2014, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Pouncey to a five-year, $44.12 million contract extension with a $13 million signing bonus. This extension made him, at that time, the highest paid center in the National Football League. After a successful recovery from knee surgery, Pouncey started all 16 games in 2014 and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time of his career. On August 23, 2015, during the Steelers' first preseason game, Pouncey suffered a broken

fibula The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...

when

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Ha'Sean Treshon "Ha Ha" Clinton-Dix (born December 21, 1992) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Alabama and ...

rolled onto the back of Pouncey's ankle. His recovery was delayed further after he developed an infection that required a second surgery. Pouncey ultimately missed the entire 2015 season. Pouncey was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl in recognition of his 2016 season. On December 19, 2017, Pouncey was named to his sixth Pro Bowl along with fellow Steeler offensive linemen

Alejandro Villanueva Carlos Alejandro Villanueva Martínez (4 June 1908 – 11 April 1944) was a Peruvian association football, footballer who played for Alianza Lima and the Peru national football team. He is considered one of the most important Alianza strikers i ...

and

. On March 7, 2019, Pouncey signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension with the Steelers through the 2021 season, making him the highest-paid center in the NFL. On November 14, 2019, during Thursday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, Pouncey was involved in a brawl with

Myles Garrett Myles Lorenz Garrett (born December 29, 1995) is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he received unanimous All-American honors in 2016, ...

. Pouncey threw punches and kicked Garrett, resulting in the two getting ejected. The next day, the NFL suspended Pouncey three games for fighting. This was then shortened to a two game suspension following a successful appeal by Pouncey. Pouncey was reinstated from suspension on December 2, 2019, and activated on December 4, returning for the Steelers' 23–17 win at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

. Pouncey was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

list by the Steelers on December 2, 2020, and activated on December 11. On February 12, 2021, Pouncey announced his retirement, alongside his brother, after an 11-season career. He was placed on the reserve/retired list by the team on March 1, 2021.

Personal life

Pouncey's

identical twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

brother

was selected 15th overall by the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

in the 2011 NFL Draft. Maurkice is one minute younger than Mike. Pouncey has two daughters, Jayda (born October 10, 2011) and Marley.Steelers center Pouncey having a busy week
TribLIVE.com. Retrieved August 10, 2013.

References

External links

*
Florida Gators bio

Pittsburgh Steelers profile

NFL Combine profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pouncey, Maurkice 1989 births Living people American twins Twin sportspeople People from Ardmore, Oklahoma Sportspeople from Lakeland, Florida Players of American football from Oklahoma American football centers American football offensive guards Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida) alumni Florida Gators football players All-American college football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players American Conference Pro Bowl players Ed Block Courage Award recipients