The mid-to-late 2000s were a golden age for the University of Florida football program, as the Gators won two national titles and appeared in three SEC championship games during the five-year period spanning 2006-10.

Head coach Urban Meyer, who had turned Utah into the first BCS team from a non-BCS conference before arriving in Gainesville, had a lot to do with Florida’s resurgence in those years following the dismal Ron Zook era.

Quarterback Tim Tebow, regarded as one of the greatest college football players of all-time, also enhanced those teams with his play from 2006-09. Those two names — Meyer and Tebow — headline that era of Florida football, and for good reason.

But there were plenty of other stars who made those successful seasons possible. Many of them earned the recognition they deserved while donning Florida’s Blue and Orange, and continue to warrant recognition for their blossoming pro careers. These players include stars like wideout Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes, cornerback Joe Haden and many more.

But two players who almost never receive the recognition they deserve for their roles during Florida’s mid-2000s “title era” are the Pouncey twins: Mike and Maurkice.

To be fair, the Pouncey duo played along the offensive line, a place where even the most talented players go unnoticed more often than not. This is more or less the case with the Pounceys, who achieved as much, if not more, than the other names listed above (other than Tebow — that dude is in a realm of his own).

Nevertheless, the twins deserve some praise for their Florida careers and what they helped the Gators achieve.

No lineman in the SEC was as versatile as the Pouncey brothers during that era. Mike played on the defensive line as a freshman, logging four stars including eight tackles and an interception. He then moved to guard for two seasons in 2008-09 and moved inside to center in 2010 after Maurkice left a year early for the NFL.

During his three years at Florida, Maurkice began his career as a guard in 2007 then served as the team’s center in 2008-09. Mike played three positions spanning both sides of the ball; Maurkice played two and was a dominant force at both.

Yet for whatever reason, we never praise the Pounceys for that versatility. Imagine moving an outside linebacker to inside linebacker or even to tight end on offense. If that player shined right away we’d begin praising him as if he invented the game himself. Unfortunately, the Pounceys don’t get the same benefit.

And either brother could be regarded as the most accomplished offensive lineman in the SEC of the last decade. Mike was a 2009 first-team All-SEC honoree and a two-time All-American selection. He was a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and has since reached two Pro Bowls in the first four years of his NFL career.

Maurkice was an All-SEC and All-American selection in 2009 and was the Rimington Trophy winner that year as the nation’s best interior lineman. He, too, was a first-round selection in the 2010 draft, and during his five-year careers he’s earned four Pro Bowl invites, four All-Pro nods and a spot on the 2012 list of the Top 100 (active) NFL Players, as decided by the players themselves.

Both brothers were among the best at what they do in the SEC, in the grander landscape of all of college football and now at the game’s highest level in the NFL. They are truly two of the 10 to 15 best offensive linemen playing the game today, and they’ve played for some of the greatest teams ever (Maurkice even appeared in the Super Bowl after the 2011 season).

Yet the last time you probably heard a Pouncey’s name was during the Richie Incognito scandal in Miami, to which Mike was associated. I’m not here to accuse or absolve Mike of anything regarding that scandal, but I will protest that he and Maurkice do enough on the field to warrant more attention on a national level.

Because while players like Tebow, Harvin and Haden have all earned football fame since those Florida title teams, the Pounceys continue to quietly dominate, and it’s time we started making some noise on their behalf.