Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey has apologized for his choice of head gear in a photo that surfaced on Sunday.

Pouncey and his twin brother Mike of the Miami Dolphins were wearing hats that said "Free Hernandez," a reference to their former University of Florida teammate Aaron Hernandez, who is in jail, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd.

"I fully recognize the seriousness of the situation involving my former teammate, and I regret that my actions appear to make light of that serious situation. I apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions," Maurkice Pouncey's statement on Twitter read.

No word yet from Maurice Pouncey regarding the hat.

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com