A big honor for former Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. He will be inducted into the Florida Gators Hall of Fame as part of their Class of 2025, the school announced Wednesday.
Pouncey is one of seven former Gators athletes who will be officially enshrined this October.
A starting Gators offensive lineman from 2007-2009, Pouncey was the starting center for the 2008 national championship-winning squad. That year, the team went 13-1 and defeated Oklahoma 24-14 in the title game. That night, Florida ran for 249 yards.
In his final season, Pouncey won the Rimington Award as college football’s top center, the first Florida center to ever take home the honor. His stellar season earned him All-American honors. Pouncey spent his college career playing alongside his twin brother Mike, who stayed in school one year longer as Maurkice declared for the NFL Draft in 2010.
In his three years at Florida, the Gators lost just six games and posted back-to-back 13-1 seasons.
Pittsburgh selected Maurkice Pouncey in the first round of the 2010 draft. Just as he did at Florida, Pouncey would go on to anchor the middle of the Steelers’ offensive line. Injuries were the only element that hampered his career, but Pouncey still made nine Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro selection, an excellent athlete capable of pulling and playing in space at an elite level.
Pouncey started 134 games with Pittsburgh before retiring following the 2020 season. He hung up his cleats despite a late push from quarterback and longtime friend Ben Roethlisberger to stay another year. Roethlisberger retired after the following season.
A borderline Pro Football Hall of Famer, Pouncey will at the least be eventually inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor.
Florida will hold its induction banquet Oct. 17. In addition to Pouncey, other Gators who will be immortalized include softball player Lauren Haeger, swimmer Charlotte Browning, and lacrosse star Kitty Cullen. Longtime football booster Phil Pharr will also be enshrined.
