Mike Pouncey

Pouncey brothers looking to reshape image off the field

Published Jun. 29, 2015 5:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

Twin brothers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey say they have learned from their mistakes and are doing what they can to clean up some unflattering images of their recent past.

The duo returned to their hometown in Lakeland, Fla. to host "Pouncey Weekend" with their foundation, an annual football and cheer camp for local youth. The event gives the brothers a chance to give back to their community, but they realize they also have to walk the walk when it comes to being positive role models.

They'd probably take a mulligan when it comes to their public support of college teammate turned convicted murder Aaron Hernandez back in 2013, and while the charges were dropped in a suspected nightclub assault in Miami, perceptions last.

"We made some mistakes in the past and we learned from them," said Maurkice Pouncey, now a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Steelers, told The Ledger. "I'm glad they happened because you always got to learn in life. We were young … then, but we're grown up and trying to be the positive role models — something for these kids back in Lakeland to look up to — and it means a lot to us.

"Anytime we did get in trouble in the past, it hit us in the heart. We learned the hard way, but now that we're able to give back every single year, it's a blessing."

"The world has changed so much that the public eye is everything," added two-time Dolphins Pro Bowl selection Mike Pouncey. "It's perception over reality. We know that you've got to do the things right on and off the football field, and we learned over the course of our careers to do that now. We're just glad to be positive role models in our community."

h/t: Pro Football Talk

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