Florida national champion center earns another accolade
Gator Great Earns Pittsburgh Steelers Honor originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Florida Gators of the mid-to-late 2000s were some of the greatest college football teams ever assembled. The Gators, led by head coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Tim Tebow, had high-powered offenses, and one of the centerpieces of them was the head man up front, Maurkice Pouncey.
Pouncey, who played on the offensive line for Florida from 2007-09, was selected No. 18 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This selection led to a memorable professional career.
On Saturday, the Steelers announced their 2025 Hall of Honor class, which will be inducted on Dec. 15. They named Pouncey as one of three members admitted this year.
Along with Pouncey, two other Pittsburgh greats in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker Joey Porter are joining the hall, the organization declared at a luncheon at training camp.
Pouncey spent his entire 11-year NFL career with Pittsburgh, starting 134 games for the team. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was selected to five all-pro teams before retiring in 2020.
During his time with the Gators, the center made 41 appearances and was riddled with accolades. Pouncey made the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2007 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 2009, the same year he won the Rimington Trophy for the best center in the country.
He also won an SEC title and BCS National Championship with Florida in 2008 as the team's starting center.
With his illustrious career continuing to be recognized years after retirement, it seems like only a matter of time before Pouncey hears his name called in Canton, Ohio, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Related: Florida Gator Legend Earns Bigger Role on Coaching Staff
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
