Maurkice Pouncey can blame more than a simple broken ankle for him missing the 2015 NFL season.
The Steelers center told ESPN on Thursday he needed seven procedures last year, most of them involving a staph infection, to be able to return to action this year. He also came down with a case of E. coli during his recuperation.
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Pouncey's troubles began when he broke his left fibula in an exhibition game against the Packers. It wasn't until October that he first felt an issue with the surgically repaired leg: The incision hadn't closed properly and had developed staph.