Mike Pouncey – October 14, 2016
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Friday, October 14, 2016
Center Mike Pouncey
(On playing against his brother, Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey) – “I’m looking forward to it. This is going to be a special moment for both of us. The last time we went up to play the Steelers, he was out with an ACL injury. We have a lot of family coming down. It’s going to be a special weekend for our family. They finally get to get together and see us both on the field at the same time in the NFL, so we’re looking forward to it.”
(On if they have ever played against each other) – “No. This will be the first time we ever played against where both of us have been on the field at the same time.”
(On if he ever played against his brother even in Pop Warner) – “No. We were always on the same team except in the NFL.”
(On what his teams were like growing up with him and his brother together) – “When we were on the same team? (We won) three state high school championships (at Lakeland High School), one national championship (at Florida), so you tell me. Pretty good, huh?”
(On something he’s always been better at than his brother) – “Better looking (laughter). No, I always say my brother is a better football player. He’ll probably say that I’m a better football player, but we push each other to be the best that we can be each and every day in the offseason. During the season, we watch each other’s film, tell each other what we’re doing bad throughout each game and stuff. He’s been a real help for my career the way it’s gone. I’m sure he’d say the same for me.”
(On if he or his brother got into football first) – “I think we both started at the same time. We started when we were six years old. Our parents put us into it. We learned to love the game by starting out as such young kids playing it. It’s really, really paid off for everybody in our family.”
(On looking a lot alike his brother and how their personalities differed growing up) – “Leaving out of the hospital, we kept our wristbands on for the first few weeks because our mom couldn’t tell us apart. We looked so much alike and my brother had gotten sick so he had to go back into the hospital for a week and that’s kind of how they figured out, ‘Okay, this is Mike and that’s Maurkice.’ Who knows if I was the one that was sick and went into the hospital and he was the one that stayed at home. I don’t remember, but my brother is my best friend. I love him to death. I hope he plays really good but I hope their team doesn’t.”
(On if both of them played guard and center at Florida) – “Yes. Well when he was at Florida, he played guard his freshman year and I played d-tackle. In our sophomore years, he played center, I played right guard for the next two years and then once he left (Florida), I moved over to center. Then he got drafted to the NFL.”
(On if they are identical or fraternal twins) – “Identical. Yes.”
(On if there were some pranks they played growing up) – “We were good kids. I mean other than acting like I was Maurkice or he going to one of my classes, I go into his. But for the most part, we didn’t do too much tricking people.”
(On if they were able to fool their parents) – “Our parents? No. Our parents are really, really strict on us. So we didn’t play with them like that.”
(On how would he describe practice his freshman year at Florida when he was a defensive lineman going against his brother) – “I was killing him. I knew all of the calls. They would call out, it would be a slip block, I knew that the center was going to try and reach me so I would just blow him back. It was cheating. I knew all of the offensive calls when I was playing defensive tackle.”
(On if there is a part of him that wishes he was playing on the defensive side this week) – “(Laughter) Just a little bit, but I hope he goes out there and I hope he plays really well. Obviously, I hope their team doesn’t play well but I hope he does play good and injury-free, obviously.”
(On if there is any chance he’ll line up for a play at defensive line this week) – “Unless we get up by a lot, but I doubt it. (Laughter)”
(On if his brother has ever shown up to the Dolphins facility as a prank) – “In the offseason, he comes in. Our team welcomes him in. We know that we have no chance of signing him, but he comes in the offseason, spends time here and all of the guys get him confused when he comes in and they think he’s me whenever we’re not around. It’s the same when I go up there. Their team is very welcoming to me coming into their facilities, working out and stuff up there. They’ve been great. Just to have a brother in the NFL and be able to experience this together, it’s been awesome.”
(On if they ever lifted weights for one another) – “No. Heck, no. We do it all together. We’re both going out there to accomplish the same thing and that’s to be the best players we can be. We can’t miss the workouts. So we do them together.”
(On if they’ve tried fooling the team) – “No, there isn’t no fooling the team. I wouldn’t want to go out there and then try and learn their plays.”
(On who got the first tattoo?) – “We went at the same time. We were 13 years old. We both got one tattoo on our arm. The rest is history.”
(On how his parents liked the first tattoo) – “They didn’t like that too much.”
(On rumor having it that his brother had some reps at left tackle in practice) – “Oh (goodness). He’s been telling me about that and I hope he doesn’t have to take any in the game. But if he does, we’re going to line ‘Cam’ (Cameron) Wake over him (laughter).
(On if he’s the biggest trash talker in his family) – “Oh, yeah; heck, yeah. There’s going to be a lot of trash talking out there on Sunday too. I’m friends with a lot of guys on that football team. I had the luxury of spending seven years with those guys and I know a lot of them – coaches, players – and I can’t wait to get out there. There’s going to be a lot of trash talking but it’s going to be a very exciting, physical football game.”
(On what the hardest thing he and his brother have went through together) – “I think the hardest thing we went through together was probably him leaving as a junior and me staying my senior year. It was the first time we were ever separated. I kind of took it a lot tougher than he did because he was the one … he was making money. I was still in college. That was the toughest transition was being apart from each other.”
(On if he was freshman roommates with Maurkice) – “We were freshman roommates. We were sophomore roommates, junior roommates and he left me hanging my senior year.”
(On the last play of the game against the Steelers in 2013) – “I was like, ‘Please, somebody tackle him.’ Once Antonio (Brown) got the ball in his hands, it was like a punt return. (It was a) good thing it snowed a lot that day because he would have never stepped out of bounds if it didn’t. We won that game. That was a great game. My brother was hurt that year but we’re looking forward to being on the field this week.”
(On if he was freaking out during the final play of the 2013 game in Pittsburgh) – “I was just like once they said no touchdown, let’s just get in the locker room and get back to Miami as fast as we can – other than it being cold as hell.”
(On how much of his family will be there on Sunday) – “We bought 79 tickets so we’ll have a lot of family and friends at the game. It’ll be very exciting for everybody.”
(On who paid for the 79 tickets) – “Me, of course. It’s a home game so … When we went up there, (Maurkice) paid for all of the tickets and he brought our whole offensive line up that year because he wasn’t playing. He had us over for dinner and we had a really good time.”
(On if he is going to have his brother over on Saturday night) – “(Heck) no. He’s playing in the game. None of them (are coming) to my house.”
