Maurkice Pouncey named Steelers' nominee for Walter Payton award
Because of his fiery playing demeanor and the respect he commands as an offensive captain for the Pittsburgh Steelers, center Maurkice Pouncey is a hard person to miss on the football field.
In the community, however, Pouncey prefers to take a low-key approach and not be in the spotlight for his charitable contributions.
It might be difficult for Pouncey’s community service work to stay under-the-radar much longer since it was announced Thursday that he is the Steelers nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Pouncey is one of 32 nominees who will be eligible for the national Walter Payton award, which will be announced Feb. 1, the eve of Super Bowl LIV.
Pouncey will receive a $50,000 donation from the NFL that he can give to the charity of his choice.
“It’s awesome to be acknowledged for that type of award,” Pouncey said. “I don’t really publicize all the community stuff that I do, but it’s a pretty cool award.”
Pouncey has worked to improve community and police relations in Pittsburgh. For the past three years, he has donated Steelers tickets to the Pittsburgh Police, so an officer can take youth from the city’s neighborhoods to games.
Last month, Pouncey also spearheaded a Thanksgiving turkey drive in which meals were provided to more than 400 families.
Pouncey’s twin brother Mike was a 2016 nominee when he played for the Miami Dolphins. They founded the Team Pouncey Foundation, which has provided more than $10 million through grants and programs focusing on abused and neglected children, after-school programs and summer camps.
“We don’t really publicize these type of things,” Pouncey said. “We just do it because I think we’re supposed to do it.”
Defensive end Cameron Heyward was the Steelers’ nominee in three of the previous four seasons for his work with the Heyward House Foundation.
The last Steelers player to win the national award was Jerome Bettis in 2001.
“I just think it’s cool for the team,” Pouncey said. “They do a lot of things to put guys in the community. This organization cares about the community, especially here in Pittsburgh.”
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.