It’s been almost five years since Ben Roethlisberger took a snap from Maurkice Pouncey, but their friendship has withstood the test of time. In a recent episode of the Not Just Football podcast with Cam Heyward, Pouncey spoke about their relationship and how it helped to mold him into the man he is today.
“You know, coming from totally different types of backgrounds, right? But then, we have a couple of hiccups at the beginning of our careers. I think he took me under his wing,” explained Pouncey. “He didn’t have to do that for me.”
Both Roethlisberger and Pouncey didn’t have the smoothest starts to their NFL careers. Earlier in Roethlisberger’s career, he ran into some issues, including sexual assault allegations and the very well-documented motorcycle accident that nearly took his life.
Pouncey likewise didn’t have the best entrance into the NFL. Starting with an accusation that he and his brother, Mike, accepted money from an agent while he was in college. After being drafted by the Steelers, the pair once again found themselves in hot water with a civil lawsuit due to an incident in 2014 at a Miami nightclub.
With so much attention on both players, Pouncey began to feel frustrated toward the media, but he credits Roethlisberger with easing his mind.
“They all have jobs and rightfully so,” said Pouncey. “You’re supposed to get criticized, you’re supposed to have critics. But when you’re going through the old school part of it and when you’ve never had it and we’re going up on it… It’s hard to understand that part of it. You kind of get stuck in this thing where it’s always a battle against each other? But I think he showed me… You gotta suck some of them things up. You know, envision these types of things and start hanging out, and where you wanna see yourself older.”
Having that guidance was clearly not lost on Roethlisberger and helped to grow the pair’s relationship. Well, it didn’t hurt that he was also a Hall-of-Fame quarterback.
Today, Pouncey says he still loves Roethlisberger to death and that they still talk all the time. Most recently, the duo linked up in Dublin to watch the team play against the Vikings. While they might not be on the field together, the two Canton-bound players still have a connection that will last a lifetime.
Recommended for you