Steelers' Maurkice Pouncey Reveals One Of The Secrets Behind His Legendary Career

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a ton of great players don the black and gold throughout the history of the organization, and a lot of those players that get a ton of shine are on the defensive side of the ball. It is important not to forget the guys that have lined up in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball as well, especially at the center spot. Pittsburgh has a history when it comes to the center position, probably the best history out of any other organization in the league. Zach Frazier is the current starting center, and he looks like he can turn into a Pro Bowler soon.

Frazier will likely continue to improve, but before him, the Steelers had Maurkice Pouncey snapping the ball. He was drafted back in 2010 and he played through the 2020 season before retiring. He always earned a ton of respect from the fan base for the way that he would protect Ben Roethlisberger from any extracurricular activities from various defenders after the whistle. He was even the first player to come to Mason Rudolph's defense when Myles Garrett swung the helmet at his head.

Pouncey had a legendary career in Pittsburgh, but he recently went on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward where he shared what turned him into a great player.

"I'm just saying, sometimes it's the coach that is put in place sometimes that can take you to the next level as a player," Pouncey said. "I will say, I thought I was a good player, but when Coach Munchak came around, I became a great player, and y'all seen that."

Pouncey is referring to when the Steelers hired Mike Munchak as the team's offensive line coach. He served in that role from 2014 through 2018, and Pouncey believes that helped him take his game to a whole other level. He helped the entire offensive line, but Pouncey knows he turned him into the player he is remembered as.

The talent was always there with Pouncey, but it is safe to say that the best years of his career were probably when Munchak was in town as the offensive line coach for Pittsburgh. He left following the 2018 season as he was a finalist for the Denver Broncos' head coaching position. He did not get the job, but he joined the staff in Denver as the offensive line coach.

Pouncey had already played four seasons in the NFL by the time Munchak joined the Steelers coaching staff, and he still manages to give the coach most of the credit for the growth he showed throughout his career. He cited Munchak's playing career as being a big reason that the relationship was able to work so well. Munchak is considered to be one of the best interior offensive linemen to ever play the game, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame back in 2001.

Steelers May Now See Zach Frazier Take A Jump

Frazier is entering his third season, and he has just experienced a coaching change. James Campen joined the Steelers as the new offensive line coach, and he played for quite some time in the NFL. He also brought along Jahri Evans to be Pittsburgh's assistant offensive line coach, and he is a former player that is on the brink of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is considered one of the more dominant guards to ever play the game, which will hopefully bode well for the interior of the offensive line in Pittsburgh. 

Frazier has already shown he has the talent to be a great center, and this coaching change should elevate his game even more.

What do you think about Pouncey's comments? Do you think the same thing could happen with Frazier? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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