Reflecting on Christian Ponder
By: Jake Rajala
Christian Ponder was once a 12th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2011 NFL Draft. Of course, the 2011 draft is remembered for being one of the best draft classes of all time. Well, things didn’t go exactly as planned for the former Florida St. QB.
Ponder had a putrid rookie season, which isn’t uncommon for a rookie QB. He threw 13 TDs to 13 ints as a rook. Let it be known that he did elevate his performance in his sophomore season. He unleashed 18 passing TDs to 12 ints in his second NFL season. More importantly, he went 10-6 in his second season. Whether it was the football gods or a mindset, Ponder fell off a cliff after his second season. Matter in fact, he played worse in year three than he did in year one.
Ponder registered a 2-6-1 record. His stats were the opposite of sexy. He unleashed 7 passing TDs to 9 ints. He had a shouler injury in 2013, which claims to be the reason that he never bounced back.
He was on his last legs in 2014. He was also very pedestrian in his lone start.
Ponder had Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert syndrome. They were all a part of the 2011 draft class, which had many future Hall of Famers. Even Cam Newton and Andy Dalton (for several seasons) were multi-Pro Bowl figures. Nonetheless, Ponder and his couple of friends (listed above), burnt out as starters early in their career. Gabbert did go on to be a backup for Tom Brady and the Bucs in his later years.
Ponder can hang on to beating Aaron Rodgers in the league. He also tried to return and seek revenge after destroying his shoulder. He didn’t attempt to make a comeback after his fourth season.
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