Colorado quarterback dominiq ponder, 23, died after a single car crash, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement via ESPN.
The patrol said the vehicle lost control on a curve, rolled down an embankment and caught fire, and Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police investigating the crash said speed was believed to be a factor, the statement reported by ESPN said, and the incident was described as a one car crash.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders announced Ponder’s death on Twitter, writing in part that "Dom was one of my favorites" and calling him "Loved, Respected & a Born Leader."
Colorado Athletic Director Fernando Lovo said the CU athletics program was devastated, adding in a statement via ESPN that Ponder epitomized passion, enthusiasm, leadership, toughness and intelligence.
Reactions And Team Context
Teammates posted messages of grief, including quarterback Colton Allen, who wrote on Instagram that Ponder brought joy and that he would carry their shared memories forward.
Ponder arrived at Colorado as a transfer from Bethune Cookman and had spent two seasons with the program, according to team reports.
He did not play in his first season after transferring, and he appeared in two games the following season, attempting one pass, the team notes said.
Coaches had expected Ponder to serve as one of the backups behind the program's starting quarterback in the coming campaign, according to reporting on his projected role.
The program and teammates responded publicly through social channels and institutional statements, and Colorado leaders asked for privacy as they offered condolences to his family and teammates.
