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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders gave an emotional eulogy at the funeral of his sophomore quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who died in a tragic car crash this past week. Ponder was 23.
Sanders went up to the microphone after Ponder’s family, saying it “didn’t feel right” to do so, but he couldn’t help feeling “inspired” by their words.
Then, Sanders, a spiritual man in his own right, began to speak.
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Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“We always ask questions about why this happened … ’God, why this and why that?’” Sanders said.
“When we’re successful, we’re excelling, and overcoming adversity, we never ask God, ‘Why?’ then. Only in our demise and sadness of life, we challenge and ask God,’ Why?’ I think I’ve got the solution.”
Sanders, then, started to speak about his former signal caller.
“As I look right there, and look at a young man so full of life – so full of respect, bustle, hard work, and integrity. I ask God, ‘For real?’ And he whispered: ‘Dom was chosen.’
“Dom was chosen to unite y’all, to bring you all together. Dom was chosen.”
“Coach Prime” directed part of his eulogy to Ponder’s parents, which led to him getting understandably choked up at the podium.
“The only darn thing I have regret for is that when you sent us a boy. I wanted to send you back a man,” Sanders said, taking a pause to try and control his emotions.
Ponder had been a walk-on quarterback with the Buffaloes in Sanders’ first season, as he tried to configure his team. He already had his son, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, set to start for Colorado after their success at Jackson State. But Ponder and others in the quarterback room were looking to work and develop under the elder Sanders’ tutelage.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Ponder saw appearances in two of the Buffaloes’ games last season.
But while Sanders has a regret about Ponder, his parents gave him praise, issuing a statement thanking “Coach Prime” for his “unwavering generosity, support, and love shown to our family.” They also thanked everyone for their “heartfelt gratitude” in a separate statement.
Sanders called an emergency meeting with his Buffaloes roster after learning of Ponder’s death, and a raw scene shared on social media showed him comforting emotional players. Sanders himself was emotional while delivering a speech to his team.
“His character, humor, work ethic, and tenacity. It’s something that I want us to remember,” he said in the clip.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
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Sanders also confirmed Ponder’s death last Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
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