by Chad Morgan

Created on: December 07, 2011   Last Updated: December 12, 2011

The 2011 National Football League season will definitely go down as a year that rookie quarterbacks made a name for their teams and gave a glimpse into the future of some of the franchises.  The best of the rookie crop so far has been the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and number one draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in Cam Newton.  Newton is already setting NFL records as a first year player and that is astounding.  Another one of those rookies and highly heralded players from the Draft of 2011 is Christian Ponder, the former Florida State quarterback who now starts for the Minnesota Vikings.  Ponder has taken over for veteran Donovan McNabb this season and while Ponder has taken over a struggling team, the future is looking very bright in the Twin Cities.

Christian Ponder was due for success in college and at Florida State.  He was a high school phenom from Dallas, Texas and after high school followed the footsteps of his father and headed to Tallahasse and the Seminoles.  Ponder's father, David, played football at Florida State in the early 1980's and both father and son had the opportunity to play for the Hall of Fame coach in Bobby Bowden.  Ponder was the starter for Bowden for three seasons and in 2011 was the first round pick, 12th pick overall, for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings drafted Ponder to be the future of the franchise but at the beginning of the season had Donovan McNabb as the starter, an acquisition that came from the Washington Redskins, and as a player that could bring Ponder into the league.  McNabb struggled and then Ponder was inserted as the starter against the Green Bay Packers and ever since it has been all Ponder.  It was very ironic when Ponder was able to get his first NFL win as a starter against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, showing to fans and critics alike that Ponder belongs in the NFL.

The one thing that can be said about Christian Ponder is that the future will certainly be bright for him.  He has been getting rave reviews from all over the league and has been able to keep the Vikings into games and that is what the fans want.  It is a very good bet that ten years from now that people will be talking about the Hall of Fame career of the great Christian Ponder.

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ponder

http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ponder_ christian00.html

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13966/christian-p onder

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