During interviews at Winter Park I learned quarterback Christian Ponder sees nothing new in his “underdog” status, and former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema is so excited about his old team he made a wager.
As the Vikings go through spring practices at their Eden Prairie facility there is a quarterback competition between Ponder and Matt Cassel, both veterans, and rookie Teddy Bridgewater. If this was a popularity contest with the winner determined by fans voting, Ponder would be left in the dust.
Ponder, now in his fourth NFL year, was scorned by Vikings fans last season when his disappointing play cost him the starting QB job. In three seasons since the Vikings used the No. 12 pick in the first round to draft him, he has thrown 38 touchdown passes and 34 interceptions.
That’s enough to test a man’s faith and the religious Texas native was asked if the intense booing and criticism hurts his feelings. “Not really. I’d be lying to say it’s not hard to hear people boo when you’re on the field and stuff,” Ponder told Sports Headliners. “I feel like I’ve been through ups and downs my whole life. Whether it’s my career or anything—from high school to college to now—I’ve always felt like I’ve had the underdog role. I am used to it, and…being strong in my faith helps me out through all of this.”
As a Texas high school player, Ponder was only the 50th ranked college prospect in the state by Rivals.com, according to Wikipedia.org. At Florida State he struggled before emerging as a Heisman Trophy candidate his senior season in 2010. There were doubters, though, who questioned whether Ponder was worth the No. 12 pick in the draft and the skeptics have needed more room at their table during the last couple of years.
But Ponder is optimistic about his future. He likes working with offensive coordinator Norv Turner and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner, both new additions to the Vikings staff. Ponder said those coaches and a new offensive system he likes, along with three years of NFL experience, have him feeling more confident than he’s ever been about being a pro quarterback. He’s not giving up on his dreams despite past results and the wailing of critics.
“I want to be the best at my position and do as well as I can. I love this game. It’s a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I want to be a starter and play and win a Super Bowl. I think that’s everyone’s dream and goal.”
Ponder has a partner in faith, his wife Samantha who is an ESPN college football reporter and graduate of Liberty University, a Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Samantha’s father was a football coach and she is a student of the game. With her knowledge, she is supportive of her husband.
“She has been so positive,” Ponder said. “She always has the right things to say, and she’s also a motivator. She makes me stay on top of my game. She’s a great wife.”
If Ponder is negligent about his conditioning, he will hear about it from Samantha. “If I’ve been sitting on my butt for a couple of days she makes sure I am getting out there and working out and getting stuff done,” he said.
Samantha, 28, and Christian, 26, were married in 2012. Since then career schedules have occupied much of their time but they did vacation in Italy last winter, spending time in Florence and Rome. “It was awesome,” Ponder said. “My mom’s side of the family is Italian so I’ve always wanted to go over there. We had fun. It was cool.”
The Vikings finish practices soon and then Ponder will have about a month off until training camp starts in Mankato. That means a short break for Ponder and Samantha. “Once the season starts we only see each other a couple of days a week, so we’ll enjoy ourselves,” he said.
Lurtsema was a reserve defensive lineman on three Vikings Super Bowl teams in the 1970s. He is impressed with new head coach Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner. “You know I bleed purple (but) I am legitimately the most excited I’ve been (about) both these coaches that we have right now, Turner and Zimmer,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners.
Zimmer’s emphasis on accountability from players reminds Lurtsema of his former head coach. “Zimmer’s got a little bit of Bud Grant in him. Bud looked at you and never said a word (when a player did something wrong). …If you didn’t pick it up a notch, he’d let you go.
“He cut ballplayers that were better than myself. I know that. Everybody knows that. I was coachable and I worked. Those other players they were doing their own little dance. They’d bring it every other play.”
Lurtsema is not just talking optimism about the Vikings who had a 5-10-1 record last season. Las Vegas offered wagering this spring that the Vikings will win only six games in 2014. He has bet that his old team will win more, although he won’t say how much money he gambled.
Why does Lurtsema think he made a solid bet? Because he has said for years the success of a team is “60 to 65 percent” determined by the coaching.
Underdogs like Ponder and the Vikings like that kind of talk.
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