Former Florida Gators standout and current Pittsburgh Steeler, Maurkice Pouncey, greets fans before the start of their game against LSU at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Saturday, October 9, 2010. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)
Player in the Super Bowl was perhaps wishful thinking for Maurkice Pouncey, the starting rookie center for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers lineman Chris Kemoeatu confirmed to the Pittsburgh Tribune that Maurkice Pouncey will not play in the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers due to a high left ankle sprain injury he suffered in the AFC championship game against the New York Jets Sunday.
“We are definitely sad that he won’t be able to be with us in the Super Bowl,” Chris Kemoeatu told the Tribune. “Definitely I feel bad for him. We just have to win it for him. It’s definitely a huge loss for us.”
Pouncey told the Tribune earlier in the week that he would play and that he “knew how to attack” the injury because he suffered a similar injury during his college football days with the Florida Gators. Doug Legursky is expected to start in place of Pouncey.
“We know how big this is for him,” Kemoeatu said, “and him not being able to play is definitely motivating for us to go out there and get that ring for him.”
This is a major blow for the Steelers already injury-riddled line. But considering how the Pittsburgh Steelers have a history of overcoming obstacles, I don’t suspect players will allow this to impact their play too much.
Maurkice Pouncey, in my opinion, had the best rookie season of any athlete in the NFL with Sam Bradford as a close second. NFL lineman don’t get hardly the amount of credit they deserve because they lack the statistical evidence to back their play, but for Pouncey to anchor the Steelers offense to a 3-1 record without Ben Roethlisberger, then provide stability and gain quick game-time chemistry with Roethlisberger after his return and ultimately helped lead the team to a Super Bowl, is nothing short of impressive.
