Florida Makes Major Maurkice Pouncey Announcement
From 2007 to 2009, the Florida Gators football program won 35 games, including a BCS national championship and the Sugar Bowl. The first name to come to mind regarding the late 2000s Gators is undoubtedly Heisman Trophy Award quarterback Tim Tebow. However, Tebow's greatness would not have reached its otherworldly peak without his center, Maurkice Pouncey.
Just 16 years removed from his final game in Gainesville, the University of Florida is adding Pouncey, one of its most decorated offensive linemen, to the Hall of Fame.
Maurkice Pouncey
Pouncey, a cornerstone of the Gators' 2008 national championship squad and one of the most dominant centers in college and pro football, will be inducted into the UF Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Per the Gainesville Sun's Kevin Brockway, he joins seven other inductees in a ceremony set for October 17, the night before Florida hosts Mississippi State at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
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Pouncey, a Lakeland native, was the anchor of Florida's offensive line during the height of the Urban Meyer era. He made 11 starts as a true freshman before becoming the full-time starter at center in 2008. The Gators hoisted the BCS title trophy in 2008, but his best performances came in 2009, his final year with the program.
Pouncey earned the Rimington Trophy in 2009 as the nation's best center, while being named a first-team All-SEC and All-American honoree.
His dominance didn't end in Gainesville. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Pouncey with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He dominated the 2010s as one of the most reliable centers in the league, earning a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
During his 11-year NFL career, he made nine Pro Bowls, three second-team All-Pros, and two first-team All-Pro squads.
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Pouncey becomes the latest Gator great to be immortalized in orange and blue, joining a long list of legends who helped shape the program into a college football powerhouse.
A 2008 Florida national championship team staple, he joins teammates Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Chas Henry, Joe Haden, Brandon James, Reggie Nelson, and Brandon Spikes in the school's athletic Hall of Fame.
Related: Florida Basketball Nearly Falls Out of Preseason Top 25 Despite Winning NCAA Tournament Title
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