The Pittsburgh Tribune Review is reporting that Pittsburgh Steelers first round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey was injured during the team’s spring OTA’s (organized team activities.)

The injury does not appear to be serious, but injuries during spring drills are never welcome news, and Pouncey’s was not the first, after beleaguered wide receiver Limas Sweed was lost to an Achilles tendon injury a few weeks ago.

Interestingly enough, the Steelers do have an unfortunate precedent of seeing first round picks injured during spring practices and/or non-contact drills.

In 1998, 1997 first round pick Chad Scott was lost for the year when he tore his ACL during spring practices. Likewise, in the early days of his rookie training camp the 1991 draft round Huey Richardson managed to break his nose during non-contact drills. Huey Richardson, who recorded token apperances in five games with the Steelers as a rookie before being traded to the Redskins, went on to become on of the NFL’s “greatest” all time draft busts.

…Based on today’s news — Ed Bouchette reported in PG Plus that Pouncy finished practice — it seems that Pouncy is following different footsteps, and Steelers Nation can be thankful if that is the case.