Brennan Marion remembers Dominiq Ponder
- Leo Rivera IV
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and quarterback Dominiq Ponder grew up in the same Pittsburgh neighborhood. That connection made their relationship tighter for the two months they were able to spend together.
Tragically, Ponder passed away Sunday morning after a car accident. He was just 23 years old. Less than a day later, Marion took the podium to share the personality Ponder had as a person and player.
“Dom touched everybody and had an impact on everybody,” Marion said. “They saw how hard he worked, how hard he wanted to prove he could play at the collegiate level and be a college quarterback. His energy was contagious as far as his work ethic.”
Ponder loved football. Even without having started in two seasons, he practiced hard, emerged as a leader and played special teams. His embodiment of the walk-on spirit made him coachable, something Marion appreciated.
“Really blessed to get the opportunity to be around that young man for the time that we had together,” Marion said. “I know that’d hed want us to be tough, move forward and work hard. That’s what he was about.”
Even after the three-win season where he only saw action in two games, Ponder chose to stay the course at Colorado. He was going into his third year in Boulder as a redshirt junior with plenty of football left.
As the Buffaloes started their first day of spring practice, it was in honor of Ponder. Marion led the opening chants to fire up the team and asked for one thing.
“I need something right now. This is for my boy Dom, this is for me,” Marion said on a clip via TheePregameNetwork. “ I can’t be on the football field with no juice.”
Voting to work instead of taking the day off, players were treated like the kids of coaches, not paid athletes. Keeping the team together, they let their emotions play out on the field.
“Our staff members care about the players. They know their names, know where their families are from,” Marion said. “A lot of these guys will lean on their coach, and we’ll be able to lean on them. These guys will have all the love and support they need to overcome the situation.”
As the quarterback room continues their daily meetings, Marion promised a seat will remain open in honor of Ponder. The team is also in the process of choosing a memorial patch for their jerseys.