Former Gators Center Maurkice Pouncey Named to NFL's All-Decade Team

The former All-SEC Center was recently named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2010s.

The Gators made some noise earlier today when the Pro Football Hall of Fame released their All-Decade team for the 2010s.

A total of 53 players were selected by the Hall of Fame's selection committee. Eligibility was determined depending on if the player had been a selection for the Associated Press All-Pro Team, Pro Football Writers of America All-Conference team, or a Pro Bowl at least one time between 2010-2019.

Highlighted by names such as former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, the Gators had one player join on the offensive side of the football in former Gators center Maurkice Pouncey.

Pouncey, 30, played for the Gators from 2007-09 and was an integral part of the team's National Championship title run in the 2008-09 season. As the Gators center, Pouncey held multiple accolades including being named a consensus All-American in 2009, along with a first-team All-SEC title. Pouncey is the only Gators player in history to win the coveted Remington Trophy, which is given to the best center in the nation.

After declaring early for the NFL Draft, Pouncey was selected 18th overall in 2010 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he continues to play to this day. Pouncey has had multiple achievements as a Steelers football player, including eight Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro selections.

Now, he enters the highly prestigious class of players which includes many likely Hall Of Fame players. The Pro Football Hall of Fame had this to say about Pouncey:

"Became the first center in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. Voted an offensive team captain by his teammates twice (2013 and 2018). Earned eight total Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro selection five times."

Pouncey joins former Gators running back Emmitt Smith (1990s), defensive end Jack Youngblood (1970s), and punter Don Chandler (1960s) as the only former Gators players to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade teams.

Both Smith and Youngblood have already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.