Another Pouncey unlikely for Steelers in NFL Draft

[mesaSteeler]

Another Pouncey unlikely for Steelers in NFL Draft
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/print_724793.html
By Scott Brown
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 26, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — Steelers coaches who still can't distinguish between Maurkice and Mike Pouncey — they only look alike, sound alike and share the same mannerisms — probably won't have to do so on a regular basis in the coming seasons.

Mike Pouncey, all 6 feet 5 inches, 303 pounds of him, said Friday he does not expect the Steelers to select him in the NFL Draft in April.

Pouncey hopes to play center in the NFL, and the Steelers appear to be set there for the next decade with his identical twin. What is more problematic to the Steelers drafting Pouncey, who played guard at Florida before moving to center for his senior season: He figures to be gone before the Steelers pick 31st overall.

He has to be, he said with an easy laugh similar to Maurkice's, for the sake of sibling rivalry.

And if he isn't?

"I'd never hear the end of it," Mike Pouncey said.

The Steelers know it is a long shot that Mike, who is about two minutes older than Maurkice, will fall to them in the first round.

That hasn't stopped them from doing their due diligence a year after they took Maurkice with the 18th overall pick.

They interviewed Mike Pouncey on Thursday night, and he said offensive line coach Sean Kugler put him through a similar whiteboard session that his brother experienced a year ago.

Kugler diagrammed plays on a board and then erased it and had Pouncey draw up the same plays.

"They were very impressed," Pouncey said when asked how he did.

The Steelers have a need at guard but probably won't get a chance to consider Pouncey with their first-round pick because of how well his brother — who was named to the Pro Bowl — played as a rookie.

"I've never seen a situation with twin brothers so similar as players," Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said. "We have a good indication of what that player will be like because of Maurkice, so we probably know a little bit more about him just because of our evaluation of Maurkice. I'm sure he's the same type of person that his brother is."

The two are nearly impossible to tell apart — at least to the untrained eye — making it no surprise that many people, including some Steelers coaches, mistook Mike for Maurkice when the two were in Dallas for the Super Bowl.

The Pounceys have won three state championships and a national championship together. But it's likely that a pursuit of a Super Bowl title will be separate endeavors for the brothers who talk to each other daily.

"Yeah, we talked about the chances (of playing together again)," Mike Pouncey said. "It's not looking too good, but there's free agency in the NFL, so you never know."

Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.



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[mesaSteeler]

Seeing Double

By Jim Wexell
Publisher SteelCityInsider.net
Posted Feb 25, 2011
http://pit.scout.com/2/1051194.html

Mike Pouncey mirrors his twin brother Maurkice in every way. And he wants to play for the Steelers, but only if they can find a way to trade up to pick 18 or better. (From 31 to 18 or better? That won't happen. - mesa)

INDIANAPOLIS – Ever see an offensive lineman with an entourage?

Meet Mike Pouncey, the guy walking away from his press conference with the gaggle of reporters, broadcasters, combine officials, and admirers in tow.

Pouncey has become something of a rock star of the OL-prospect set after his younger brother Maurkice made the Pro Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.

Older by two minutes, Mike Pouncey arrived at the combine a year after his twin brother and showed the identical mannerisms and confidence that was so often displayed this past season by the Steelers’ Rookie of the Year.

Mike Pouncey told a throng of reporters from the podium Friday that he met with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and “had a real good meeting with the Steelers yesterday.” But Pouncey doesn’t think he’ll last until the Steelers pick 31st in the first round on April 28th.

“It’s not looking too good,” said Pouncey. “But there’s free agency in the NFL, so you never know.”

Getting to Pittsburgh down the road might be Mike Pouncey’s ideal, but it’s not what he wants now because, as a competitor, “I got to be drafted higher than Maurkice, 18 or better,” Mike said. “I’d never hear the end of it.”

The Steelers of course chose Maurkice 18th last year after he spent his junior season as the center at the University of Florida. Mike was the right guard that season, a year after they’d teamed up to help the Gators win a national championship. The pair led their prep team, Lakeland (Fla.) High, to three consecutive Class 5A state championships as well. Clearly, the Pounceys understand winning and it’s reflected in their confident natures. Mike’s was on display Friday afternoon.

* “They basically said we look the same on film. Some of the teams even said I look better,” Mike said of the scouting comparisons of the brothers.

* “I’m fluid with it now and confident with it. To this day, I’ll never take it for granted again,” he said of his oft-errant shotgun snapping.

* “There’s nothing negative about either one of us. On the field we play hard; off the field we’re lovable guys and people love being around us. We’re the total package,” he said when asked if scouts see any negatives.

Speaking of which, Mike was asked to name the most difficult aspect of the combine, and his confidence erupted once again.

“Getting up and meeting with coaches,” he said. “I’ve been very impressive to them, showing them I can get on the board and draw the defenses.”

To that end, Pouncey was asked if Steelers O-line coach Sean Kugler, in their meeting the previous day, did what he’d done with his brother on the grease board: draw plays, erase them, and have him re-draw them.

“He did the exact same thing,” Pouncey said.

And, how’d he do?

“Great,” Mike said with that unmistakable Pouncey smirk.

“They were very impressed. Every coach I met with was very impressed with what I did.”

The Steelers were probably impressed, but director of operations Kevin Colbert agrees with the senior Florida center that there’s little chance of him lasting until the 31st pick.

“I really can’t see it,” said Colbert, who believes Pouncey can play either guard or center in the NFL.

“I just got to get drafted first,” Mike Pouncey said. “I want to beat him at everything. We compete with each other with anything we do. I have to get into camp and I have to earn a starting spot and I have to play great, like he did.”

[steelerohio]

Could he be gone by the 18th pick? I'm hoping he falls to like 28 or 29 then trade up to get him...

[pete74]

he will be gone well before the 28th pick. i expect him to be a top 15

[pete74]

my biggest fear is a team like Baltimore drafts Mike Pouncey and since Marcus's contract will be up 1st he leaves Pittsburgh to take a lower offer so he can play with his brother

[PhantomJB93]

No way Pouncey goes top 18 he's not as good as Maurkice and teams know that. He'll go somewhere in the mid-20's and could fall into the second round even. Really he's not gonna go as high as some people think, he may be the top rated guard but he's not a "phenomenal" prospect at either guard or center and the top guard usually doesn't go until late in the first or sometimes even the early second (last year was an exception). Not to mention most teams looking for Oline help are looking for a Tackle first, and that is a much deeper class with almost half a dozen first round prospects.

Pouncey could easily fall to us or far enough that we would realistically be able to trade up for him without sacrificing our entire draft, but whether or not the Steelers value him more than whatever OT or CB prospects also fall into their laps at 31 remains to be seen.

[Steel Glory]

He will be gone in the early 20's. If he gets close to the Steelers I'm almost certain they'll make a move.