Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and his wife Samantha recently welcomed a new baby girl, their first child.
Ponder, who played his college football at Florida State University, found an interesting way to honor his mentor and former coach, Bobby Bowden.
The Ponders named their newborn girl Bowden Sainte-Claire Ponder.
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“I’ve never had a girl named after me,” Bowden said to the Pioneer Press. “I’ve had everything else I can think of. I’ve had horses, I’ve had dogs, I’ve even had pigs. I’ve had a lot of things named after me but this is the first time I’ve had a girl, a daughter.”
According to ESPN, the Ponders plan to call her “Scout,” after the narrator of Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Ponder spent four years at Florida State under Bowden, from 2006-2009. Bowden retired after the 2009 season and Jimbo Fischer coached Ponder during his last year in 2010.
According to FOX Sports Net, the history between Ponder and Bowden goes back much further. Bowden coached Christian’s dad, David, from 1980-83.
Of course, the newborn girl means that while Ponder prepares for the start of his fourth training camp with the Vikings, he will be dividing time between football and fatherhood.
It’s the first time in his career that Ponder comes into training camp without a likely chance to win the starting quarterback job.
“It’s different when you’re the starter and when you’re not,” Ponder told KSTP. “There is going to be a different feel to it.”
Ponder lost his job to Matt Cassel last season, and with the team’s drafting of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the first round, the chances for Ponder to return as the Vikings’ starting quarterback don’t look very promising.
“People say they’ll approach it the same, but you can’t,” Ponder said. “If you’re not starting, you can’t approach it the same way.”
But Ponder said he will still prepare to fill whatever role the team needs him to.
