2010 Heisman Hopefuls: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
At Florida State they don’t know how to lose. Ever since Bobby Bowden took over back in 1976 the Seminoles have been one of the better teams in the nation if not one of the best. For 14 seasons, from 1987 to 2000, the team finished in the top five in the nation, an unprecedented streak of success that included two national championships (1993 and 1999).
When a team is that good on the field it is bound to have an incredible number of players enjoy individual success. Many Seminole players has gone on to play in the NFL, some to great acclaim. Many were also highly decorated on the collegiate level.
Two such distinctions came in one of their championship years (1993) and a year after the other (2000). The senior quarterbacks of both squads won the highest individual honour a college football player can hope for, the Heisman trophy.
It has been a few years since Florida State has been on the hunt for a national championship. For the first time since the mid-1970s there will be someone other than Bobby Bowden in charge. With many in the football world looking to see how the team does without their long-time leader, the Seminoles will be in the spotlight early in the season.
Good thing they have a player like Christian Ponder leading the way for them.
High School
To get Ponder, Florida State did not have to go too far. He played his high school ball at Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas. However, the young future Heisman candidate was born in Tampa, Florida; it had to help that his father was an alumnus of the school as well and played defensive line from 1980 to 1983.
As a junior his statistics were respectable but not shining with 1500 yards passing and seven touchdowns. He did better his senior year with 2214 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with an additional 911 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
His play got him recognised in several publications. The Dallas Morning News named him a first team all-district player. Scout.com called him the 20th ranked prospect of the 2006 class. Rivals.com called him the 14th best pro-style quarterback and 50th best to come out of Texas. A number of teams agreed and made contract offers, including Baylor, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, North Carolina, TCU, and Florida State.
College
Like many college players he was red-shirted his first year (in 2006). In 2007 he would serve as the back up to quarterback Drew Weatherford, getting a little playing time when Weatherford went down with an injury against Virginia Tech.
Come the 2008 season he was named the starter over the senior Weatherford even though Weatherford was much more experienced and mature. Ponder would end up leading the team to a 9-4 record while throwing the ball 318 times, completing 177 of them for 2006 yard with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He would tack on another 423 yards on the ground in 119 carries with four touchdowns.
The 2009 season, Bobby Bowden’s last, was looking to have a stand-out season. After eight games he had the best passing average per game in the ACC and was among the best in yards and efficiency. However his season would get cut short after eight games when he suffered a season-ending injury against Clemson. In the end he would throw for 2700 yards and 14 touchdowns.
According to reports, he had been considering making a jump to the NFL after 2009, but when he was injured those thoughts got put on hold. With another quality season in 2010 he will likely be a high pick in the 2010 draft.
With the football nation looking on to see how the Seminoles do without Bowden in control, Ponder will have the opportunity to shine early on likely on a national stage. If he plays up to expectations, he very well could win the Heisman in 2010.
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