{"id":797869,"date":"2026-03-07T07:02:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T07:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/797869\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T07:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T07:02:21","slug":"deion-sanders-colorado-still-mourning-loss-of-buffs-qb-dominiq-ponder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/797869\/","title":{"rendered":"Deion Sanders, Colorado still mourning loss of Buffs QB Dominiq Ponder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deion Sanders had trouble uttering Dominiq Ponder\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

The Colorado coach spoke with the media Friday for the first time since the death of the 23-year-old Buffaloes quarterback, who was involved in a fatal single-car crash early Sunday morning in Boulder, and several days later, Sanders struggled to make sense of the tragedy that has shaken his program in the first week of spring practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my understanding as a father that when we send our kids to college, we send our kids to college mature, progress, learn who he or she is and come back with something that they glean from their colleges, whether it\u2019s a degree, an opportunity to be a professional or just maturation,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cWe don\u2019t send a kid to college not to come back and that\u2019s the most painful thing that I\u2019m dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n

CU will host a memorial service for Ponder on Saturday at noon in the Glenn Miller Ballroom, located inside the University Memorial Center (UMC) on campus. The event is open to the public with doors opening at 11:30 a.m., but space is so limited that there will also be a livestream for those who cannot attend.<\/p>\n

\"\"FILE \u2014 Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder (22) warms up before an NCAA college football game Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

The Buffs are also going to wear a patch on their jerseys this season honoring Ponder with several players mentioning this week that the team is dedicating this season to their late teammate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a walk-on kid that was a bona fide leader, who ran our quarterback room up until his passing,\u201d Coach Prime said. \u201cWe love him, we\u2019re gonna appreciate him and we\u2019re gonna focus on the positive things he brought to us.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was one of my favorites. I love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he knows his players are still grieving and likely will be for some time, Sanders\u2019 message to his team this week in the first week of spring practices had an eye toward the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta keep going,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna love (Ponder), we\u2019re gonna appreciate him, we\u2019re gonna uplift him and support the family, friends, loved ones \u2014 but we\u2019ve got to keep going.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been wonderful. They\u2019ve been so good and so mature. It don\u2019t make you soft for a man to cry. I want them to do that if they feel it. This ain\u2019t no joke. Some of the players, this is the first time they\u2019ve dealt with losing someone and you gotta respect that, so I\u2019m advising our coaching staff that we\u2019re gonna push \u2018em on the field but we\u2019re gonna love \u2018em just as hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CUColorado head coach Deion Sanders during an NCAA football game against TCU on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU won 35-21. (AP Photo\/Mike Buscher)<\/p>\n

That has led to what Sanders has described as a productive first week back on the practice field. The Buffs added a few dozen new players to the program this offseason, the majority of whom came from the transfer portal once again, but Coach Prime made a point to mention he and his staff hand-selected each new addition to the roster.<\/p>\n

Sanders also said he believes this is the best coaching staff \u2014 one that features two new coordinators and several new assistants \u2014 that he\u2019s assembled during his tenure \u201cby far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese practices have been phenomenal,\u201d Coach Prime said. \u201cThe energy of the coaching staff has been extraordinary and the support staff all around has been so darn helpful and on their game. I\u2019m really thankful and appreciative of what I see right now. I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n