Colorado football returned to practice a day after the program tragically lost quarterback Dominiq Ponder in a car accident in early Sunday morning.
Ponder was only 23 years old.
“It’s sad not being able to protect him [Ponder] off the field,” Buffaloes offensive lineman Yahya Attia said Monday, according to the Associated Press. “I still don’t really realize it — I don’t want to believe it yet.”
Running back DeKalon Taylor said being back at practice on Monday had been “heavy at first.”
Players shared stories of their memories with Ponder while he’s been at Colorado.
Defensive back Ben Finneseth said that he visited Ponder and his family during spring break a year ago and recalled how a few weeks ago, the quarterback hopped a fence to get them into a hot tub at Finneseth’s apartment complex because he didn’t have the key.
“Everything that we’re going to do moving forward is for him,” Finneseth said. “It was tough, meeting together [Sunday], everybody, and knowing what happened. Coach Prime asked us if we wanted to work [Monday].
“We decided, as a team, Dom wouldn’t miss the day. He wouldn’t miss the day of workouts. That’s what he would’ve wanted for us. He would have said, ‘Life’s got to move on. We’ve got championships to win and we still have goals, and the clocks are still rolling.’”
The players made the call to practice on Monday after being given the option to skip the first day of spring practice by head coach Deion Sanders.
As the Buffaloes practiced, they broke the huddle with a chant of “Dom.”
Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a guardrail and then an electrical line pole before rolling down an embankment.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Colorado State Patrol said in a statement that the preliminary investigation showed speed was believed to be a factor in the accident.
— with AP
