This season is going to be different for Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey.
When his twin brother, Maurkice, decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, it marked the first time the two wouldn’t play on the same team.
But Mike has taken full advantage of his alone time in the offseason and has begun to carve out his own identity.
“I knew when I decided to come back to school that I was going to have to take on that role with (Tim) Tebow and (Brandon) Spikes leaving,” Mike said. “I just accepted it and I’ve taken it on with a full head of steam.”
Mike isn’t just stepping into his brother’s leadership role from last season, he will also be moving one spot over from guard to center — the position Maurkice played at Florida.
The similarities don’t stop there.
Teammates hardly notice Maurkice is gone because the two have such similar personalities. Mike keeps the locker room loose with his sense of humor, but he also knows when it’s time to work and get serious.
“They are true twins,” redshirt senior Carl Johnson said. “They are identical. Those two act the same no matter what they are doing. It’s kind of like having a little bit of Maurkice here with Mike.”
In his UF career, Mike has played on both sides of the ball and earned a starting job as a freshman. Both things have helped him become one of the most respected players on the team.
Mike’s way of leading will be similar to that of a former UF player.
“Mike is our head-and-above-shoulders leader this year — the Tebow,” Johnson said. “He has that same will. He just can’t begin to think of losing.”
With UF’s new quarterback, John Brantley, possessing a quiet, low-key demeanor, Mike will be vital in helping maintain intensity on the offensive side of the ball.
“I’m not going to be doing the hoo-rah kind of stuff,” Brantley said. “But that’s why we have other guys on the team that will do that stuff to get the team going.”
However, Mike knows there are other things that come with being one of the faces of the team. The offseason allegations involving his brother taking $100,000 from an agent before he left UF have been a wake up call.
He said he thinks twice before doing anything because he knows he has a target on his back now.
With his brother playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, people are noticing a different mentality from the 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior.
“I see a guy that’s really set on being a leader,” said offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, who also handles the offensive line. “I’m really enjoying that side of him. He’s always had great personality, but it’s kind of his own leadership-side personality coming out now. It’s not a tag team — it’s his deal.”
