PITTSBURGH -- Tattooed just below Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey's right ear is the word "loyalty."
Among the tattoos that cover his body, this one stands out.
Guided by the principle inked on his body, Pouncey does everything to protect his teammates -- sometimes to his own detriment.
That loyalty cost him two games and $36,096 after a fight in Cleveland where he punched and kicked Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett after Garrett struck Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his own helmet. In the locker room after the fight, and in the week that followed, Rudolph's teammates stood up for him as he was scrutinized for his role in the melee and accused, by Garrett, of using a racial slur.