Brothers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey took some heat over the weekend when a photo of the NFL centers wearing “Free Hernandez” hats, as in former Florida teammate Aaron Hernandez, at a nightclub surfaced on the interwebs. Now, they appear to be backing away from that staunch statement.
Maurkice took to Twitter on Monday morning to express his deep regret for appearing to make light of Hernandez’s arrest and first-degree murder charge.
“I fully recognize the seriousness of the situation involving my former teammate, and I regret that my actions appear to make light of that serious situation. I apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions,” Maurkice Pouncey’s tweet read.
That “apology” might have come at the behest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, his PR-conscious employer. Both the Steelers and Dolphins were expected to speak with the Pouncey brothers about their attire choices, according to ESPN’s John Clayton, and that tweet may have been the immediate result. As of 4 p.m. on Monday, Mike had yet to post a tweet or release a statement about the situation.
Both Pouncey brothers were good friends with Hernandez during their time in Gainesville, Fla., Mike even rooming with the former Patriots tight end at one time. Given their friendship, it’s no real shock they’re supporting their good friend. But they might be better off not doing it so publicly.
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Photo via Twitter/@JazzyNice5
