When Steelers C-OG Doug Legursky ponders a season that began with him as a reserve and ended with him starting in Super Bowl XLV, he thinks of the wide range of perspective he received.
"I've seen every angle you can approach a game from," he said. "… I guess out of anything, that's the most valuable thing."
Legursky's versatility and readiness were put to the test multiple times a season ago, and never more so than when the Steelers needed him most. He got the call in the Super Bowl in place of the injured Maurkice Pouncey, whom he relieved early in the AFC title game after the star rookie suffered a high ankle sprain.
How the 6-1, 315-pound Legursky would fare vs. imposing Packers NT B.J. Raji was a matter of much speculation entering the game, what with Legursky to make his first-ever start in the middle and the 337-pound Raji emerging as a star late last season, but Raji didn't record a tackle in Green Bay's win, and Legursky came away "satisfied" with the way he played individually on a nonetheless disappointing day overall.
In the regular season, Legursky started four games, all at right guard, in place of the injured Trai Essex. With Pouncey the surefire starter at center, Legursky's best shot at competing for a starting spot this season could be at guard, though whether that happens could be tied to whether the Steelers bring in someone else who can play center, as Legursky and Pouncey are the only two centers on the roster.
"I'm going in there and battling to be a starter," Legursky said of his outlook.
It took two years for the 25-year-old Legursky, who went undrafted out of Marshall, to work his way onto the Steelers' roster. Twice Pittsburgh released him. "That was tough times, but I fought through that," he said.
Now, he has developed into a well-rounded player. In addition to center and guard, he also has lined up as a blocking back, something he enjoys.
His handiness is his calling card. He has shown, he said, that he can "go in there and contribute in a blink of an eye where we can win football games."
Source: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/06/24/legurskys-handiness-helps-him-stick-in-pittsburgh
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