Mike Pouncey

James Michael Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is an American football center for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, was a member of a BCS National Championship team, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Mike Pouncey
Pouncey with the Miami Dolphins in 2011
No. 53 – Los Angeles Chargers
Position:Center
Personal information
Born: (1989-07-24) July 24, 1989
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:303 lb (137 kg)
Career information
High school:Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Games played:114
Games started:114
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Pouncey was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma.[1] He attended Lakeland High School, where he was a standout lineman for the Lakeland Dreadnaughts high school football team.[2] 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.[2]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com,[3] Pouncey was listed as the No. 16 offensive guard in the nation in 2007.[4] He chose Florida over offers from Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and Michigan.

College career

Pouncey accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[2] where he played for coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football team from 2007 to 2010.[5] As a freshman in 2007, he started the season as an offensive lineman but had to move to the defensive line as replacement when several defensive starters were injured.[2]

Pouncey started four of 13 games as a freshman, recording eight tackles and an interception.[2] As a sophomore in 2008, he moved back to the offensive line and started all 14 of the Gators' games at right guard,[2] including the Gators' 24–14 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.

After his junior season in 2009, Pouncey was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and a Pro Football Weekly first-team All-American.[2] As a senior team captain in 2010, he moved from guard to center for the Gators,[2] replacing his twin brother Maurkice Pouncey at center,[6] after Maurkice entered the 2010 NFL Draft following his junior year.[7]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 5 in
(1.96 m)		 303 lb
(137 kg)		 32 1⁄4 in
(0.82 m)		 9 3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		 5.28 s 4.64 s 7.66 s 25.0 in
(0.64 m)		 8 ft 0 in
(2.44 m)
All values from NFL Combine[8]

Miami Dolphins
Pouncey (right) works with fellow Dolphins center Joe Berger in 2011.

Pouncey graded out as the top center and guard prospects in the 2011 NFL Draft.[9] He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round with the 15th pick overall,[10] and started all 16 regular season games of his rookie season.[11]

In February 2014, the NFL released the "Wells Report" finding that Pouncey, along with Dolphins teammates Richie Incognito and John Jerry, had bullied and harassed lineman Jonathan Martin, another unnamed player, and an assistant trainer. The harassment of the assistant trainer, in which Pouncey took part, included racial insults.[12][13]

On April 29, 2014, the Dolphins exercised the fifth year option on his rookie contract.[14] Pouncey underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum with an expected recovery time of three months on June 23.[15] He would go on to play the entire 2014 season at Guard and was named to his second Pro Bowl, becoming the third Dolphin in team history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two different positions (Cameron Wake, Randy Starks).

On April 10, 2015, Pouncey signed a 5-year contract extension with the Dolphins worth $52.15 million with $22 million guaranteed.[16] Pouncey only played in five games in 2016 after dealing with a hip injury before being placed on injured reserve on December 13, 2016.[17]

The Dolphins released Pouncey on March 15, 2018, after he asked the team to release him.[18]

Los Angeles Chargers

On March 19, 2018, Pouncey signed a two-year, $15 million contract including $10 million fully guaranteed with the Los Angeles Chargers.[19][20] He started all 16 games at center for the Chargers in 2018, on his way to his fourth Pro Bowl.

On September 3, 2019, Pouncey signed a one-year extension worth $9 million.[21] He was placed on injured reserve on October 9, 2019 with a neck injury.[22]

On September 17, 2020, Pouncey was placed on injured reserve after undergoing season-ending hip surgery.[23]

Personal life

Pouncey's identical twin brother Maurkice Pouncey was selected 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft.[1] He is one minute older than Maurkice.[24] Pouncey has two children, a daughter, Janiyah (born 2008),[24] and a son, Kayden (born July 6, 2013).[25]

See also

References
  1. National Football League, Current Players, Maurkice Pouncey. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  2. GatorZone.com, Football History, 2010 Roster, Mike Pouncey Archived May 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  3. Michael Pouncey Recruiting Profile
  4. Rivals.com offensive guards 2007
  5. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 89, 95, 97, 98, 103, 125, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  6. GatorZone.com, Football History, 2009 Roster, Maurkice Pouncey. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  7. Scott Brown, "Pouncey a tough act to follow for identical twin," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (August 30, 2010). Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  8. "Mike Pouncey Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  9. NFLDraftScout.com, Mike Pouncey. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  10. "Panthers make Cam Newton top pick," ESPN.com (April 28, 2011). Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  11. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Mike Pouncey. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  12. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, "Report to the National Football League Concerning Issues of Workplace Conduct at the Miami Dolphins Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine," NFLDolphinsReport.com (February 14, 2014). Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  13. Steve Eder and Ben Shpigel, "Two Dolphins' Paths to a Bullying Scandal," The New York Times (February 24, 2014). Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  14. Alper, Josh (April 29, 2014). "Dolphins exercise 2015 option on Mike Pouncey's contract". NBCSports.com. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  15. Coppinger, Mike (June 23, 2014). "Mike Pouncey could miss 3 months after hip surgery". NFL.com. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  16. "Pouncey sign 5-year contract extension". bleacherreport.com.
  17. "PRESS RELEASE: Dolphins Make Roster Moves". MiamiDolphins.com. December 13, 2016.
  18. "Dolphins trade for 49ers' Daniel Kilgore, release Mike Pouncey". ESPN.com. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  19. Wesseling, Chris (March 19, 2018). "Chargers, Mike Pouncey agree to two-year contract". NFL.com.
  20. Henne, Ricky (March 19, 2018). "Chargers Agree to Two-Year Deal with Center Mike Pouncey". Chargers.com.
  21. Patra, Kevin (September 3, 2019). "Chargers sign Mike Pouncey to 1-year extension". NFL.com.
  22. "Chargers Sign C/G Ryan Groy". Chargers.com. October 9, 2019.
  23. "Los Angeles Chargers Place Mike Pouncey on Injured Reserve". Chargers.com. September 17, 2020.
  24. Dave Curtis, "Identical twins Mike and Maurkice Pouncey will make formidable front for UF foes," TCPALM (April 11, 2008). Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  25. You guys welcome kayden Pouncey my newborn son!. Twitter. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
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