Ponder skipping 2010 NFL Draft

by Mocking Dan on Nov 9, 2009 4:09 PM EST Comment 27 comments

According to Joe Schad of ESPN.com, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder will not enter the NFL Draft.

Ponder's decision was accelerated after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Clemson.

The junior underwent successful surgery today for a dislocated right shoulder. Ponder was making a tackle after throwing an interception. Florida State lost the game 40-24. Ponder reportedly had broken ribs before the game even started.

For his career, Ponder is 13-9 as a starter. He's thrown for 2,717 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Ponder would have had a tough decision to make after this season. While he may have been one of the top two quarterback prospects, he was considered a solid prospect at least on par with Colt McCoy and Tony Pike.

Now Ponder will enter his senior season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation, depending who comes out after this season.

Update: The Tallahassee Democrat quotes Ponder saying he's "likely" to return for his senior season.

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Smart.

FSU seems like it could be at its best in a long time next season (Miami seems to be back again too).

Hopefully they keep up with that expectation. College football always seems better when these 2 are slugging it out in the ACC (or Big East…)

DO WHAT JERRY HAIRSTON DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by FreeBradshaw on Nov 9, 2009 6:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Best in a long time? They have a losing record right now

by TheRealSlimShady on Nov 9, 2009 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The potential is there. Apparently Bama's DC is coming over and the entire defensive staff will be cleaned out.

FSU’s offense was basicly tasked with scoring 40 points a game to win, and that doesn’t happen very often.

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by Jonathan Loesche on Nov 9, 2009 6:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

TheRealSlimShady

Free Bradshaw said….“FSU seems like it could be at its best in a long time next season” The key 2 words in that sentence are next season. Reading obviously isn’t your strong suit.

by 1newplayer on Nov 9, 2009 7:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No need for the insult

I think it’s pretty clear TRSS was saying it’s hard to believe Florida State will be a great team next year because they aren’t very good this year, so they’d have to make a big leap in performance.

by Brendan Scolari on Nov 9, 2009 8:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not an insult

just stating the obvious. The reason FSU is so bad this year is defense plain and simple. FSU can’t stop anybody and tons of teams have had career days against the Noles. With Mickey Andrews stepping down, a new defensive coordinator coming in, some other poisonous coaches on the staff being shown the door and Ponder returning I think there is no doubt FSU will be a very different team next year. Also Ponder has single handily kept FSU in games this year and no one has been able to stop him. If not for the injury he would have easily thrown for 3,200 this year. Here’s an article illustrating just how bad FSU has been on defense.

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2009/11/2/1110686/florida-states-defense-the-cure

and how good Ponder is on offense

http://www.tomahawknation.com/2009/10/27/1098345/what-are-the-davey-obrien-award

It should be noted I’m a Noles fan if that isn’t painfully obvious. Now back to my drinking and burning my Bowden doll.

by 1newplayer on Nov 9, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It is an insult

And it was unnecessary and rude.

Yes I know Ponder is very good, it’s still a leap of faith to say FSU will be the best they’ve been in a long time when they haven’t been very good this year.

by Brendan Scolari on Nov 9, 2009 9:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They will be the best they've been...

simply cuz a senior QB like Ponder is what they haven’t had.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with their defense…but I doubt that 2 years in a row it’ll be as bad as it is.

FSU and Miami will be back, mainly cuz of their QB play (tho I ain’t making any bets on FSU…Miami? Yea, they’re back)

DO WHAT JERRY HAIRSTON DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by FreeBradshaw on Nov 10, 2009 7:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Someone from Florida State insulting MY intelligennce?

See, I can be an ass too.

by TheRealSlimShady on Nov 9, 2009 9:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

TRSS check your spelling and caps lock

they both seem to be broken. And Brendan I said nothing about FSU being the best they have been a long time. I said “they will be a very different team next year” You obviously have a reading problem as well. I’m done discussing this anyways. I’ve made my points and you have failed to make any. By the way love the site Mocking Dan. Keep it up. I will be throwing a draft together soon and look forward to reading your insight.

by 1newplayer on Nov 9, 2009 11:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Could someone please remove this scumbag off this site before I personally drive up to FSU and give him a beat

by JP 23 on Nov 10, 2009 10:34 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone stop. Now. Keep it up and your virtual asses on MTD will get kicked.

Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.

by Mocking Dan on Nov 10, 2009 10:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No....

Free Bradshaw said this:

FSU seems like it could be at its best in a long time next season (Miami seems to be back again too).

Then TRSS said this:

Best in a long time? They have a losing record right now

Which is what I was responding to. So no, I don’t have a reading problem.

by Brendan Scolari on Nov 10, 2009 12:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

See above, please.

Enough with the Florida State stuff. They’re going to be how they are every year. Something will happen in the offseason and people will get excited. They’ll get ranked in the bottom half of the top 25. They’ll lose two of their first four games of the year. They’ll have oddly intriguing players. They should be better than they are. They’ll go on something of a streak. They’ll win a lower-tier bowl game and finish the year 8-5 or 7-6 or 6-7. People will will want Bobby Bowden to leave. People will want Bobby Bowden to stay. A player will get kicked off the team. A player will get thrown in jail.

That is Florida State just about every year this decade and will continue to be. It doesn’t matter who is the coach or who is the quarterback.

THE END.

Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.

by Mocking Dan on Nov 10, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ummmm no Mocking Dan

You really believe in college football that it doesn’t matter who the coach or who the quarterback is and whether or not that makes a difference in the success of a team on the college level? I completely disagree.

by 1newplayer on Nov 10, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And for the record

I haven’t been excited about FSU in a long time. It’s actually sad what we have become. Bowden though will be gone this year and you can bank on it, along with Andrews, Amato and the other fools on the defensive side of the ball and for the first time since 2000 I will be excited about the program. Hey I apologize if I stepped on anyone’s toes here, but that’s what most fans do when they are passionate about their teams. Consider this my attempt to make up and move forward. FSU will be a whole new team next year albeit still young, but they will be coached a lot better and led by a senior qb which I think will make huge results on their final ranking and record at the end of the year.

THE END (part 2)

by 1newplayer on Nov 10, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not with Florida State. For the rest of this season they’ll have the same success with E.J. Manuel that they would have with Christian Ponder. When Bowden leaves, they’ll probably still have the same level mediocrity with Jimbo Fisher.

Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.

by Mocking Dan on Nov 10, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Look at the stats on Fisher

Last year he was the ACC Coordinator of the year. Coley will be taking over for Fisher, but many agree it will still be Fisher’s offense and Coley if you have met him is super smart and talented. And yeah we’ll have the same result this year with Manuel, but it is because our defense is atrocious. Look at the link I posted above.

by 1newplayer on Nov 10, 2009 4:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually we agree to disagree

let’s just move forward and start analyzing other players. Have you heard Suh is a beast?

by 1newplayer on Nov 10, 2009 4:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

my bad for starting this....

jeez…..

I never thought people would take a “maybe” like “seems like they could be as good as they used to be” so damn seriously.

The “seem” like they could cuz Ponder is a pretty good QB who may just have Heisman (preseason…again.. a maybe) potential. A senior QB as good as Ponder is and can be means that FSU might have a good year al la its glory years.

I aint a FSU fan..so I don’t care what they do…just trying to say the Ponder is a good QB and that counts for something.

"It ain't over till its over"---

by FreeBradshaw on Nov 10, 2009 7:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry

I’m done.

by Brendan Scolari on Nov 11, 2009 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The spelling part is a joke. The caps is for emphasis.

There are a few things I would like to say, but I don’t want to risk getting kicked from MTD.

by TheRealSlimShady on Nov 10, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't believe it til I see it.

Last year Donald Brown said he was returning to UCONN only to enter the draft a week later. Ponder will have plenty of time to think this decision over.

Draft guru in training.

by tj.hendricks on Nov 9, 2009 8:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

It also depends

On how EJ Manuel plays. He is Jimbo Fisher’s guy. A highly touted recruit if he plays well it could set up a Fisher vs Bowden war for who is starting QB. Ponder may not want to be in the middle of that.

Draft guru in training.

by tj.hendricks on Nov 9, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It also helped Brown that he was given a “no worse than second round” grade by the NFL Draft advisory committee.

Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.

by Mocking Dan on Nov 9, 2009 9:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I've Always

Rooted for FSU on the side, so its good to know they will have Ponder next season as well. No reason for liking State, probably mainly because of the fans.

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by Bestjagfan on Nov 9, 2009 10:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think this does a couple things

Ponder represented a late first round (potentially) to second round QB prospect that possessed the tools to play, average negatives, and was not a project.

How I saw him in comparison to:

Tony Pike- more negatives associated with his build, arm strength, and production in a system.

Tim Tebow- better tools but a project

Colt McCoy- lesser tools as well as being a project.

Results: Pike and Tebow will become hotter commodities, and to some degree McCoy, in round two. Tebow could go higher if he shows dramatic mechanical improvement in the offseason.

Ponder also may have placed himself as a first round prospect for 2011. His accuracy is the best I’ve seen in CFB this season.

by Der Jaeger on Nov 10, 2009 12:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs