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- NCAA Deion Sanders allowed his Colorado players to 'let their guard down' after Dominiq Ponder's death with an important question
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders shared an emotional tribute to backup quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who was killed in a single-car accident.
Speaking on his weekly show, Sanders revealed a poignant detail that added to the tragedy: Ponder had recently earned the right to switch his jersey from No. 22 to the prestigious No. 7.
He was scheduled to wear the new number for the first time on March 2, the very day the Buffaloes were slated to begin their spring practice schedule.
The 23-year-old sophomore from Florida had spent two seasons in Boulder as a non-scholarship player. Sanders noted that while Ponder had previously worn No. 22-a number rarely assigned to quarterbacks-he had challenged the young athlete to "fight" for a more traditional playmaker's number. Ponder's relentless work ethic eventually earned him the No. 7, a switch that Sanders described as a milestone the quarterback was incredibly proud of.
"He worked his butt off, and this season he was gonna wear No. 7," Sanders said. "Like, the next day, he would have been in 7 for his first time ever."
A leader's legacy and the "Black Flutie" connection
The impact of Ponder's character was felt deeply across the locker room, leading to an immediate outpouring of grief from his teammates.
Sanders recounted a moving interaction with a player who visited his office following the accident, asking to switch their own jersey to No. 22 to honor their late roommate. Sanders approved the request, noting that while Ponder was moving on to a new number, his previous one had become a symbol of his journey and leadership within the program.
He also shared the unique nickname he had bestowed upon Ponder: "Black Flutie." The moniker was a reference to Doug Flutie, the legendary quarterback who famously wore No. 22 during his college years at Boston College before switching to No. 7 in the professional ranks. Sanders praised Ponder as "one of my favorites," emphasizing that his value to the team extended far beyond his contributions on the field as a reserve.
"It was tough, because I'm like, you send a kid to college to become a man and to get an education, and to just soar through life," Sanders said during his broadcast. "You don't send a kid to college to lose him. And that's the toughest thing for me to digest."