Steelers Maurkice Pouncey - Ingles

AFC Championship Week

January 17, 2011

Are you surprised of how your rookie class has done as a whole?

I think all of our coaches put us in great situations. They have been out here every step of the way, encouraging us and teaching us how to be professional athletes, and we’ve done a good job at it.

Are you pretty close as a group?

Most definitely.

Can you give an example?

I think our class is goofy. All of us like to joke around and have a good time together especially when we do all the events together.

Were you guys close right away?

We all were kind of linked when we first got here. We all just joked around and kind of new that we were all in the same situation together to earn the respect on the team. We did it and all the guys were impressed with us.

Who is the goofiest guy?

Crezdon Butler, most definitely.

Re: Trash talking:

We don’t even pay any attention to that at all. We go about our business and prepare the right way to play a football game. We don’t do a lot of talking.

Are you entertained by it?

I don’t pay attention to it at all. It doesn’t bother us at all. Let them talk.

Re: Drive to win the Super Bowl:

Man that would be awesome. I think I have a championship on every level except for this level. That would be the greatest accomplishment ever.

Have any guys been showing you their rings?

No, they talk about the Super Bowl victories they had in the past and all that was memorable to them, but I wasn’t in their place so I can’t really enjoy the things that they have.

Re: NFL Playoffs versus college football games:

It’s [the NFL] so much better. There is so much more on the line. In college it was awesome. We had a great group of guys and a great coaching staff. But here it is truly what you do.

Re: The playoff game:

It was amazing. It was unbelievable. Our fans are awesome, to go out there with that energy just for us is crazy.

Re: Expectations at Florida versus NFL expectations:

I would rather be here than at home right now. It’s an honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. I am happy to be here.

How happy are you that the Jets won?

We are on our own journey. I am impressed of what we have been doing. We had a great game offensively and just keep stepping on the floor with it.

Did the Jets talk trash during the first game?

Every team talks, every team out there has a guy that says something. But we don’t really pay attention to it. Everybody knows that was a hard-fought game and they came out with the win.

Who talked?

Bart [Scott] said a couple of words like he always does. A couple of defensive linemen did but it was a good game.

Doesn’t their whole team talk trash?

I don’t think they did that game. A couple of guys said stuff here-and-there but we were coming.

Did you think you should have won that game afterwards?

Every game you do, it’s always a couple of plays that if we would have did this we would have won that game.

How shocked were you that the Patriots did lose?

We didn’t really pay much attention to it. I joked around with my guy [Aaron] Hernandez who plays with the New England Patriots. We joked around but he has an offseason to get ready for and we don’t.

Did you text him after the game?

I let him get his head up. But I am pretty sure he will call me today saying something.

Re: Offensive line continuing to strive through injuries:

Everybody is in it for the same goal. Everybody who ever gets in that game is ready to fire that gun and prepare to play the greatest game they have ever played.

Re: Jets’ defense versus Ravens’ defense:

Man they are confusing. They do a whole bunch of stuff. A lot of their guys are walking around. They have a lot of DBs in the game, a lot of linebackers in the game. You just have to prepare the right way for it.

Did you have any trouble picking up their defense in the first game?

Not the first time, and I hope it’s the same this time.

At what point did you start thinking you could possibly play in the Super Bowl?

I am still not thinking it. We still have the AFC Championship coming up. And if we get that one we will start thinking about it.

You do know if you win you go to the Super Bowl?

We have to win a lot more than that to get there too.

Re: Playing at home:

I am so happy about the home situation. That’s awesome. I didn’t want to travel in this situation, but we are here with our great fans and another exciting game on Sunday.

Did the home crowd play a role in Joe Flacco’s fumble?

The crowd always does. Our fans are great. They cause a lot of confusion out there and make every team that comes in here do the silent count. That’s not the situation when we travel to different places. But when a team travels in here they are always on the silent count.

Re: Shaun Ellis:

He’s a great player. At the end of the game they put him right at nose guard. He was doing all these moves trying to get up the field. I was just trying to block him.