Steelers C Pouncey Still Hopeful For Super Bowl
ARLINGTON (AP) - Maurkice Pouncey still expects to play in the Super Bowl.
"Most definitely," the Pittsburgh Steelers' injured center said Tuesday. "I feel positive right now."
Pouncey is dealing with a high left ankle sprain, suffered in Pittsburgh's 24-19 victory over the New York Jets in the AFC championship game. He was off crutches at media day after needing them to walk down the steps from the team's charter flight into Dallas on Monday, but still has a bulky walking boot on his left foot.
"I'm walking around pretty good today," the rookie Pro Bowl selection said. "I couldn't do anything in the cast. Now that I'm in the walking boot, there's a lot that I can do now. I'm icing it at night, and I've got to elevate it real good. Hopefully, I'm on the bike today and maybe some pool action later."
Pouncey did not practice last week, and coach Mike Tomlin has said Pouncey is "not on a running clock" until Wednesday -- the team's first practice before the Super Bowl.
"He's going to give me pretty much all the way until the last day," Pouncey said. "You'll pretty much know toward the end of the week if I'm going to play or not."
Some Steelers teammates have already been talking as though backup Doug Legursky will start against the Green Bay Packers.
"Who said that? Tell me where they're at," Pouncey said with a laugh. "Guys don't really know, man. They have their little assumptions, but I'm hopeful I'll be ready to go on Super Bowl Sunday."
And, that doesn't mean just for a few plays.
"If I'm going to play, I want to start," he said. "I don't want to be the 'Let's put the injured guy in at a backup position' or something like that. ... I'm trying everything possible, man. If anybody's got any other options for me, I will go ahead and listen to them."
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