Samantha Ponder (néeSteele;[1] born December 11, 1985) is an American sportscaster who is the host of Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN.[2] Prior to hosting Sunday NFL Countdown, Ponder worked as a reporter/host for ESPN college football and as a basketball sideline reporter.[3] Ponder replaced Erin Andrews on College GameDay Saturdays at 10 AM ET on ESPN, as well as co-host of the Saturday 9 AM ET edition on ESPNU.[4] In addition to her duties on College Gameday, Ponder had been the regular sideline reporter for ESPN's Thursday Night College Football with Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, and David Pollack from August 2012 until 2014.[5] Ponder also appeared on the ESPN-owned Texas-oriented regional network Longhorn Network.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Ponder attended Central High School in Phoenix. Ponder first attended The King's College in New York City[6] after high school. While in New York City, she applied for a hostess job at ESPN Zone where she met Ben Keeperman, a college football researcher and manager with ABC Sports Radio and that led to an internship at the network which in turn led to a researcher-assistant job with ABC-TV on the college football studio show.[7] She transferred to Liberty University after Liberty's Sr. Sports Producer Bruce Carey offered her a job as sideline reporter for the Liberty Flames sports television network.[8] After graduating in 2009, she worked for Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports as a sideline reporter for Pac-10 and Big 12 college basketball and football games. On July 7, 2011, ESPN'sLonghorn Network announced that it had hired Ponder as a sideline reporter.[9] Ponder, along with Kevin Dunn and Lowell Galindo, were the newly created network's first three talent hires.[8] After accepting her position with the Longhorn Network, Ponder relocated to Austin, Texas.[8]
Personal lifeedit
Ponder is a Christian.[10] After a brief courtship, she married then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder on December 17, 2012, in Hudson, Wisconsin.[11] She started appearing on ESPN/ABC broadcasts by her married name, starting with the January 1, 2013 broadcast of the CapitalOne Bowl.[12] In July 2014, the couple had their first daughter, Bowden Sainte-Claire "Scout". They also have a son, Robinson True, born in June 2017, and a daughter, Price Anne-Drew, born in July 2018.[13][14][15]
Referencesedit
^"Ponder marries ESPN sideline reporter in Hudson". KARE. December 19, 2012. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
^Karangu, Jessie (March 23, 2017). "Sam Ponder is named Sunday NFL Countdown host, Trey Wingo and Suzy Kolber take on new roles". USA Today. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
^"Samantha Steele". ESPN MediaZone. July 7, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
^McIntyre, Jason (July 11, 2012). "Samantha Steele to Replace Erin Andrews as Host of Gameday on ESPNU; Heather Cox New Saturday Night Sideline Reporter". thebiglead.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
^"ESPN drafts Pollack to replace James on Thursday games". USA Today. June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
^"Samantha Steele: From Liberty Mountain to the pinnacle of sports broadcasting". Liberty University. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
^"Samantha Steele took unlikely path to replacing Erin Andrews at ESPN". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
^ abc"Liberty Alum Steele Hired by Longhorn Network". Liberty University. July 8, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
^"Talent with Texas ties joining Longhorn Network". Houston Chronicle. July 7, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
^Romano, Jason (March 24, 2017). "Samantha Ponder Replacing Chris Berman on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
^"Vikings' Ponder takes a hike, marries in Wisconsin". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
^"Introducing Samantha Ponder". Diamond Joe's Media Rantz. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
^"Say Hello to Bowden Sainte-Claire. SamPonder". twincities.com. July 23, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
^"Sam Ponder on Instagram: "Happy 1st birthday to the girl who saved me from myself, reminded me of who I want to be and showed me the grace and mercy of the God who…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
^"Sam Ponder on Instagram: "It's hard for me to write a sentence about Price Anne-Drew Ponder without crying or laughing…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
samantha, ponder, née, steele, born, december, 1985, american, sportscaster, host, sunday, countdown, espn, prior, hosting, sunday, countdown, ponder, worked, reporter, host, espn, college, football, basketball, sideline, reporter, ponder, replaced, erin, andr. Samantha Ponder nee Steele 1 born December 11 1985 is an American sportscaster who is the host of Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN 2 Prior to hosting Sunday NFL Countdown Ponder worked as a reporter host for ESPN college football and as a basketball sideline reporter 3 Ponder replaced Erin Andrews on College GameDay Saturdays at 10 AM ET on ESPN as well as co host of the Saturday 9 AM ET edition on ESPNU 4 In addition to her duties on College Gameday Ponder had been the regular sideline reporter for ESPN s Thursday Night College Football with Rece Davis Jesse Palmer and David Pollack from August 2012 until 2014 5 Ponder also appeared on the ESPN owned Texas oriented regional network Longhorn Network Samantha PonderPonder reporting for Fox College Sports at Jack Trice Stadium in October 2010BornSamantha Sainte Claire Steele 1985 12 11 December 11 1985 age 37 Phoenix Arizona U S Alma materThe King s CollegeLiberty UniversityOccupationESPN Sunday NFL Countdown hostYears active2006 presentSpouseChristian Ponder m 2012 wbr Children3 Contents 1 Biography 2 Personal life 3 References 4 External linksBiography editBorn in Phoenix Arizona Ponder attended Central High School in Phoenix Ponder first attended The King s College in New York City 6 after high school While in New York City she applied for a hostess job at ESPN Zone where she met Ben Keeperman a college football researcher and manager with ABC Sports Radio and that led to an internship at the network which in turn led to a researcher assistant job with ABC TV on the college football studio show 7 She transferred to Liberty University after Liberty s Sr Sports Producer Bruce Carey offered her a job as sideline reporter for the Liberty Flames sports television network 8 After graduating in 2009 she worked for Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports as a sideline reporter for Pac 10 and Big 12 college basketball and football games On July 7 2011 ESPN s Longhorn Network announced that it had hired Ponder as a sideline reporter 9 Ponder along with Kevin Dunn and Lowell Galindo were the newly created network s first three talent hires 8 After accepting her position with the Longhorn Network Ponder relocated to Austin Texas 8 Personal life editPonder is a Christian 10 After a brief courtship she married then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder on December 17 2012 in Hudson Wisconsin 11 She started appearing on ESPN ABC broadcasts by her married name starting with the January 1 2013 broadcast of the CapitalOne Bowl 12 In July 2014 the couple had their first daughter Bowden Sainte Claire Scout They also have a son Robinson True born in June 2017 and a daughter Price Anne Drew born in July 2018 13 14 15 References edit Ponder marries ESPN sideline reporter in Hudson KARE December 19 2012 Archived from the original on November 4 2013 Retrieved November 3 2013 Karangu Jessie March 23 2017 Sam Ponder is named Sunday NFL Countdown host Trey Wingo and Suzy Kolber take on new roles USA Today Retrieved June 20 2017 Samantha Steele ESPN MediaZone July 7 2011 Retrieved December 8 2013 McIntyre Jason July 11 2012 Samantha Steele to Replace Erin Andrews as Host of Gameday on ESPNU Heather Cox New Saturday Night Sideline Reporter thebiglead com Retrieved July 11 2012 ESPN drafts Pollack to replace James on Thursday games USA Today June 24 2012 Retrieved June 25 2012 Samantha Steele From Liberty Mountain to the pinnacle of sports broadcasting Liberty University Retrieved June 6 2014 Samantha Steele took unlikely path to replacing Erin Andrews at ESPN Sun Sentinel Retrieved June 6 2014 a b c Liberty Alum Steele Hired by Longhorn Network Liberty University July 8 2011 Retrieved September 9 2011 Talent with Texas ties joining Longhorn Network Houston Chronicle July 7 2011 Retrieved September 9 2011 Romano Jason March 24 2017 Samantha Ponder Replacing Chris Berman on ESPN s Sunday NFL Countdown Sports Spectrum Retrieved June 13 2022 Vikings Ponder takes a hike marries in Wisconsin Minneapolis Star Tribune Retrieved December 19 2012 Introducing Samantha Ponder Diamond Joe s Media Rantz Retrieved January 1 2013 Say Hello to Bowden Sainte Claire SamPonder twincities com July 23 2014 Retrieved November 27 2014 Sam Ponder on Instagram Happy 1st birthday to the girl who saved me from myself reminded me of who I want to be and showed me the grace and mercy of the God who Instagram Archived from the original on December 24 2021 Retrieved July 23 2018 Sam Ponder on Instagram It s hard for me to write a sentence about Price Anne Drew Ponder without crying or laughing Instagram Archived from the original on December 24 2021 Retrieved August 14 2021 External links edit nbsp Biography portalSamantha Ponder on Twitter ESPN biography of Ponder BattleBots Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Samantha Ponder amp oldid 1150297367, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
