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PUC Christian Ponder

By J.T. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer

SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer J.T. Bennett continues his "Pull Up a Chair" series with Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder.

Christan Ponder is in his second year as the starting quarterback at Florida State. Ponder was just recently named to the semi-final list for the Maxwell Award. At this point in the season Ponder has thrown for 2,454 yards and 13 touchdowns.. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin

What is your favorite food?
New England Clam Chowder.

What is your favorite movie?
Wedding Crashers.

Who is your favorite musician?
I love country music. Eric Church kind of sticks out to me right now.

What is your dream car?
Range Rover.

What player in the NFL do you model yourself after?
I really loved John Elway when I was little and that is kind of who I wanted to be.

Where is your favorite place to play other than your home stadium?
So far I think Virginia Tech was pretty awesome to play at. It really sticks out to me.

Who is the best player you have ever faced?
Every day I face Pat Robinson and he is a heck of a player. I always try to stay away from him if possible in practice.

Why do you think the offense has improved so much since the start of the season?
I think we are just getting to the comfort level that we need to be at. The game is slowing down for everybody. We are getting very comfortable with what we are doing. Everyone knows what they are doing and we are starting to gain a little confidence and that goes a long way.

What do you think about not being named to the semi-finalist for the Davey O’Brien award?
I don’t mind. It is not a big deal to me. I am worried about winning ball games. I would much rather make it to the ACC Championship game than be on the semi-finalist for an individual award. It is not a big deal.

What do you think about Florida State’s slow start this season?
I don’t know what to make of it. We had a lot of high expectations coming into this season and obviously we have fallen short. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform and when you do that you can’t really play that well. I think we are beginning to relax and earning a little confidence. I think we are getting a little momentum back now.

You have been called the best quarterback in Florida, what do you think about that?
I don’t know. That is tough. There is definitely a pretty good quarterback down there at the University of Florida who has done a lot. Jacory Harris has been playing really well too. That definitely makes me feel really good about myself but I don’t know if it is true.

The receivers have been playing very well the last couple of weeks. What have they done differently?
I think they are just getting there confidence up and they understand what they need to do. But they are playing lights out, making great catches, and getting a lot of YAC yards as well. Just every game they get a little more confident and even playing with a little more swagger.

What is up with FSU’s defense?
I am not exactly sure what is going on with them. I know they are getting better. They played really well against North Carolina. I think they are going to continue to get better. I think it is the same reason we have done as well we should have on offense. It is just missed assignments. It is on both sides of the ball.

How as the team handled the call for Bobby Bowden to retire?
We don’t worry about it. We stick together as a team and coach Bowden is a part of that Family. We love playing for him. All those people outside are calling for his head but we are not worried about it. We are playing through a little adversity and we are playing for coach Bowden. That is all we are doing.

Do you think people are underestimating Bobby Bowden’s ability to coach?
I think they do. I don’t think they really realize how much he does. Most people think that he is just a figure head who just stands around and doesn’t do a whole lot. He is always coaching, especially at practice. He is always pointing out things at practice. He definitely has a lot of influence on all of the guys and people don’t realize that.

Who is your biggest rival?
Definitely the University of Florida.

How would you rank the BCS conferences?
(laughing) I can’t do that. I think there is so much parody in college football today you can’t rank them.

What is it like playing for coach Bowden?
It is awesome. I am in a unique position because coach Bowden coached my dad as well and it was always a dream to play for coach Bowden. He is a living legend and it is a situation a lot people would love to be in. He is a great guy off the field and also an awesome coach.

What is the best part of playing at Florida State?
I think it's the tradition here at Florida State. I love being a part of that. I grew up a Florida State fan and it is a dream for me to play here. Being here and being a part of the Seminole tribe’s tradition.

What do you think of a college football playoff?
I like bowl games. They are really fun. It gives an opportunity for a lot of people to have their own little championship game. I think a playoff would eliminate a lot questions about the number one team and I think that is the only true way to find out who is the best in college football. I don’t know they both have their disadvantages and advantages so I don’t know which one I favor.

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Comments

Freaking great interview.

Posted by 4thNNole on 11/06 at 09:47 PM

Yeah. Good questions. I liked the stuff he had to say about Bobby.

Posted by JWeb on 11/07 at 03:15 AM

Make Yourself Heard