Star Gator Linemen Return to Lakeland for Unexpected Visit

Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, two former Lakeland, Florida Dreadnaught Football standouts turned phenomenal offensive linemen for the University of Florida Gators, recently returned to Lakeland on news of a family tragedy.

In prepping for this week's rivalry game against Florida State, these young men received a call that their father, Ron Webster, had been involved in an accident while working at the Lakeland Cash Feed Company - resulting in the loss of his leg.

Webster is the twins' stepfather and married their mother Lisa Lewis when the boys were 1 year old. The two will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on December 26th. But don't let Webster's stepfather status lead you to believe that he holds a lesser place in the twins' hearts.

"That's the only father we ever known, so that's our dad," said Mike Pouncey. "Our biological father, he ran out on us when we were 1. We haven't ever known anybody else to be our father."

"You have to give credit to where it's due," Maurkice Pouncey added. "That's our father. We've never seen our whatever-he-is-to-us."

I'm sure that any of you who have followed the careers of these two fine young men will agree that Mr. Webster and his wife Lisa have done a fine job raising them.

If you would like to relay your sympathies, you can most likely contact Mr. Tom Zebold, who wrote an excellent Lakeland Ledger article on this topic . I am sure that he will be willing to help you get a card or note to the family. He may be found at either tom.zebold@theledger.com or by phone at 863-802-7553

For more on this story, see my main blog. I encourage all of you who may know this family, or who live in the Lakeland or Winter Haven, FL area to send a note to them.