No contact is supposed to take place in NFL spring practices, yet try telling that to rookie Maurkice Pouncey's big left toe.
Guard Trai Essex stomped on it early in practice Wednesday, and Pouncey yelped in pain as trainers rushed to check the damage.
An injury to the first-round draft choice who has not yet signed a contract in a non-contact spring drill may not rank up there with losing your starting quarterback to suspension for the first four games, but it is not a good thing, either.
"Oh, man, 330 pounds on a toe!" Pouncey exclaimed long after the pain subsided and it was determined no serious injury had occurred. After trainers inspected and wiggled his big piggy for several minutes, Pouncey bounced back up and completed the drill.
"I felt it a little bit at first, but I got back in there and couldn't let the guys down."
The interesting part of that drill was the position Pouncey played -- center. Starting center Justin Hartwig has been limited in practice because he had shoulder surgery after the season, and Doug Legursky, who has been running as the No. 1 center, had a minor issue and watched practice.
So Pouncey and Kraig Urbik played center Wednesday. Pouncey is a past and future center who Steelers coaches said would play right guard this season. Urbik was drafted as a guard last year, but is trying to add to his repertoire after mostly watching games in street clothes as a rookie in 2009.
"Nowadays in the NFL most teams dress seven linemen on gameday," said new offensive line coach Sean Kugler, who coached the Buffalo Bills' offensive linemen last season. "So, if you're not in the starting five and you are one of the backups, you have to play two positions."
Pouncey is competing against Essex, Urbik and Ramon Foster to start at right guard, which belonged to the now-departed Darnell Stapleton a year ago before he buckled to knee surgery in August. Essex took over from there.
Pouncey not only is trying to compete at a new position for a starting job, he also is trying to get up to snuff with playing center in the pros. The Steelers wanted Pouncey to concentrate on playing right guard as a rookie, but it seems that already is out the window.
Kugler also said something interesting when asked whether the competition at right guard would continue through training camp.
"There will be competition across the line, and I think the competition with the players we added and players on the roster will only make us better."
Perhaps right guard is not the only starting job up for grabs, and maybe Pouncey will not be limited to competing at just one position.
"We've been working him at center and guard," Kugler said.
"He's been taking reps at two different groups. Today, he worked mainly at center. That will be the plan with Maurkice, continue to work him at guard and center.
He's a player we feel can play both."