Maurkice Pouncey

His 28th consecutive start would also be his last game at the Swamp.

The Gators would go on to defeat Florida State, 37–10.

After going undefeated the entire regular season, the Gators would lose to No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship.

LaShawn Maurkice Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a center for 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).

As a senior in 2006, he helped lead Lakeland High to its third consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship and second straight USA Today national championship.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he chose Florida over offers from Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and Michigan.

Pouncey accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2007 to 2009.

Pouncey began attending the University of Florida early in 2007.

His twin brother Mike would also join the Gators, playing defensive line his first season to help an injury-riddled defense.

Maurkice saw action at right guard and center his freshman year.

He started the season at right guard for the season opener against Western Kentucky, becoming only the seventh true freshman in team history to do so.

In a week 6 loss to No. 6 LSU, he would have a grade of 86%.

The next week he would have a grade of 85% while the Gators would upset the No. 8 Kentucky.

On November 3, 2007, he would again get a champion grade of 83% in a win over Vanderbilt.

He finished the season starting 11 games at right guard and playing in all 13.

Rivals and College Football News selected him as a freshman first-team All-American and he would also be voted to the Freshman All-SEC team by the coaches and Sporting News.

Beginning in 2008, Pouncey became the full-time starting center for Florida next to his twin brother Mike at right guard.

He compiled six games with a grade of 90% or better.

The first came in week 3 against Tennessee, where he would have a grade of 93%.

In week 6 he was recognized as the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against Arkansas.

Pouncey would have a season-high grade of 97% against LSU and then 98% the next game against Kentucky.

While playing South Carolina he would have a grade of 90, his last above that mark for the season.

The Gators would go on to win the SEC Championship and then defeat Oklahoma to win the FedEx BCS National Championship.

He played college football for the Florida Gators, where he was a member of a BCS National Championship team, recognized as a consensus All-American, and won the 2009 Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the best college football center.

In the season opener against Charleston Southern, he began 2009 with a grade of 98% and had two knockdowns in the game.

The next week, he would again post a grade of 98% in a victory over Troy.

In the first SEC game of the year, Pouncey would play 61 snaps and receive a grade of 93% for the game.

During the week 4 match-up against Kentucky, he would end with a grade of 90% and receive Champion Club Honors.

On October 10, Florida traveled to Death Valley to face No. 4 LSU.

He would have a season-high grade of 99% in the 13–3 victory over the Tigers.

He was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Pouncey was a nine-time Pro Bowler and named to five All-Pro teams, and was also named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

He is the twin brother of former NFL center Mike Pouncey.

Pouncey was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

He attended Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a standout lineman for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.

His last game would be the 2010 AllState Sugar Bowl against No. 4 Cincinnati and he would finish his season with an average grade of 91.5% and 30 knockdowns.

Pouncey won the Rimington Award, becoming Florida's first player to do so.

He was also voted a first-team All-American by CBSsports.com, Sporting News, Football Weekly, and Walter Camp.

He finished his career with 39 starts in 41 games played.

After his junior season, he entered the NFL Draft.