Latest news with #Ponder
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kansas City man charged with murder after deadly shooting near Westport
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man has been charged with second-degree murder after a deadly shooting Friday near Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard. The defendant, Marquis Ponder, is also charged in Jackson Court Circuit Court with unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. Liberty police ask for public's help after shots fired in Clay Meadows neighborhood According to the probable cause statement, Ponder was partially identified as the suspect because of the distinctive shirt he was wearing at the time of the crime – a shirt identifying him as a security guard for Center School District. According to the probable cause statement, a witness was riding a motorcycle on Broadway Boulevard when he heard a gunshot; he turned and saw a Black man in a polo shirt holding a gun and another Black man running away, hunched over. The witness continued riding his motorcycle south on Westport Road and started talking to another motorcyclist at a red light, according to the probable cause statement. Then a white SUV – identified as the victim's vehicle – drove past them, crashing into and knocking one of the men off his motorcycle and across the intersection. The other motorcyclist said he began helping the man who was hit by the SUV – then went over to help the driver of the white SUV that had crashed nearby. He saw that the driver was bleeding and unresponsive, so he called 911. After the crash, the shooting victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police investigating after man shot, killed inside car Friday afternoon According to the probable cause statement, Ponder was seen on surveillance video near a business, appearing to be involved in an argument with the victim before shooting the victim in the back as he was walking away. The surveillance video also showed Ponder wearing a blue polo shirt with the left chest bearing an embroidered logo that reads 'Center School District' and 'Officer Ponder' on the right chest. Responding officers recognized Ponder's clothing as that issued to Center School District security officers, the probable cause statement stated. A member of the school district's security team also identified Ponder as the suspect after being shown an image from the surveillance video. FOX4 has emailed the school district for comment and is awaiting their reply. Ponder's first court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Robert Griffin III lands stunning new job with broadcast rival after ESPN firing
Robert Griffin III has landed a new job with an ESPN rival after the network fired him last August. Griffin and Sam Ponder were both let go in what was described as a cost-cutting decision from ESPN. Now, Griffin is set to return to the air with Fox Sports as a college football game analyst, as reported by The Athletic. According to the report, Griffin is expected to be hired as the company's No. 2 game analyst for college football and team up with play-by-play man Jason Benetti. Griffin has not officially signed the contract - and ESPN does have the right to block the move - though it is reportedly expected to go through. Fox previously considered hiring Griffin to be a part of its college football studio show, 'Big Noon Kickoff', but the move ultimately did not come to fruition and he remained at ESPN. As part of his new job, the former NFL quarterback may occasionally show up on Fox's studio shows, The Athletic said. The outlet previously reported that Griffin and Ponder were each making north of $1million per year at ESPN before they were let go just before the start of the last NFL season. Griffin had worked on 'Monday Night Countdown' while Ponder hosted 'NFL Countdown.' Griffin did appear on the studio show for Netflix's slate of Christmas NFL games last year but he was otherwise mostly off the air after being axed by ESPN. The former Washington, Cleveland and Baltimore passer made headlines recently as he appeared to criticize his ex-employer for an on-air debate about Jackie Robinson. 'Sports shows on TV should be about sports not politics,' he said, in response to an 'Around the Horn' segment about Robinson's Department of Defense webpage briefly being taken down amid the government's DEI purge. Griffin, the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, started his NFL career with a bang as he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, his career was quickly derailed by injuries and he never reached the same heights before ultimately retiring in 2021.
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL Draft: 10 Small-School prospects the Ravens should consider
The Baltimore Ravens have started their off-season plans. As the organization looks to regroup and keep its Super Bowl window open, it'll need to retool through the draft, and it has 11 picks in April's selection process. Every NFL Draft has numerous hidden gems that eventually emerge from the smaller colleges and universities. These under-the-radar prospects typically don't make a name for themselves until Pro Days. Plenty of small-school gems have been drafted over the years, and with the Ravens needing some retooling, here are 10 sleeper prospects who could interest Eric DeCosta. WR Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington Chism could develop into a reliable WR3/WR4 option with solid hands and short-area quickness. He wins in the slot and offers value as a return specialist. EDGE Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly Ponder tested very well at his Pro Day workout. He recorded a 4.57-second 40-yard dash time, hit 41 inches on the vertical jump, and did 24 reps on the bench press. Ponder is a very experienced prospect who has played almost 2,500 career snaps, including being a key member of the Cal Poly defense for four seasons. His most productive season came in 2023 when he recorded 51 pressures and nine sacks. According to PFF, Ponder tallied 38 pressures and seven sacks last season. CB Isas Waxter, Villanova Waxter is a big corner who won't shy away from playing the physical game against opposing receivers. During his final season at Villanova, Waxter earned Honorable Mention Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team All-Coastal Athletic Association. He was tied for sixth in the FCS with 3 FFs and played in 11 games with 10 starts (33 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 PBUs). DB Tyron Herring, Delaware He's a classic safety who has the size to match up against bigger receivers and tight ends. TE Carter Runyon, Towson Runyon is an excellent blocker, and as a receiver, he's shown the ability to work himself open against zone coverage in the underneath passing game. Last season, he became only the second player in Towson football history to head to the Hula Bowl, and he was named All-CAA First-Team tight end. OL Marcus Wehr, Montana Wehr started his career at Montana State as a defensive lineman before switching to the offensive line in 2022. In his first season, he started five games before suffering a season-ending injury. The following season, Wehr started 11 games at right tackle and one game at right guard. This past season, Wehr started all 16 games at right guard for Montana State. He's one of the best offensive linemen in the FCS, based on his accolades (All-America first team, unanimous All-Big Sky Conference first team) David Walker, OLB, Central Arkansas Walker is a highly productive FCS prospect, logging 31 sacks and 63 tackles for loss in three seasons while making numerous All-American teams. Walker was a 2024 United Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-UAC, FCS All-American, and FCS Defensive Player of the Year. LB Aaron Smith, South Carolina State Smith plays with impressive sideline-to-sideline fluidity and is arguably the top HBCU prospect in the class. OL Charles Grant, William & Mary The Ravens are looking to get younger along the offensive line and hosted several intriguing prospects on Top 30 visits. William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant was a two-time FCS All-American. Grant allowed just two sacks over the past three seasons combined and started his final 36 collegiate games at left tackle. Grant, a former high school wrestler, was invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl all-star game and scheduled visits with the Houston Texans, Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. OL Nash Jones, Texas State Jones began his career at Incarnate Word before finishing it at Texas State. A versatile prospect, he played left tackle, right tackle, and left guard during his career. In 2024, he didn't allow a sack on his 458 pass-blocking snaps at left guard and also earned a 71.1 PFF run-blocking grade. DT Joe Evans, UTSA Evans began his career at LSU before landing at UTSA. A season-ending injury in 2024 limited him to five games, but in 2023, he posted a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade. OL Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M Vinson was named First Team All-SWAC for his play in 2024 and a First-Team FCS All-American. He accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl and was the lone invite from an HBCU program at the 2025 NFL Combine. Vinson plays with a physical, aggressive mentality and loves to set the tone in the run game. The North Carolina native was a four-year starter at left tackle and projects as a developmental talent at the NFL level. Vinson measured 6-6 304 pounds in Mobile and started 48 games at offensive tackle during his career.
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL Draft: 10 Small-School prospects the Eagles should consider
2025 NFL Draft: 10 Small-School prospects the Eagles should consider With so many under-the-radar and small-school players flourishing in the NFL, we're looking at 10 prospects for the Eagles to consider in the draft The Eagles are no strangers to targeting small-school players in the NFL draft, and the results have mostly been positive. Philadelphia analyzed Carson Wentz at the 2016 Senior Bowl, and Howie Roseman used the No. 2 pick on the former North Dakota State star. Dallas Goedert, Todd Herreman, Jeremiah Trotter, and Brian Westbrook also make the list of success stories. Plenty of small-school gems have been drafted over the years, and with the Eagles in need of some retooling, here are 10 sleeper prospects who could interest the Birds. WR Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington Chism could develop into a reliable WR3/WR4 option with solid hands and short-area quickness. He wins in the slot and offers value as a return specialist. EDGE Elijah Ponder, Cal Poly Ponder tested very well at his Pro Day workout. He recorded a 4.57-second 40-yard dash time, hit 41 inches on the vertical jump, and did 24 reps on the bench press. Ponder is a very experienced prospect who has played almost 2,500 career snaps, including being a key member of the Cal Poly defense for four seasons. His most productive season came in 2023 when he recorded 51 pressures and nine sacks. According to PFF, Ponder tallied 38 pressures and seven sacks last season. CB Isas Waxter, Villanova Waxter is a big corner who won't shy away from playing the physical game against opposing receivers. During his final season at Villanova, Waxter earned Honorable Mention Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team All-Coastal Athletic Association. He was tied for sixth in the FCS with 3 FFs and played in 11 games with 10 starts (33 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 PBUs). DB Tyron Herring, Delaware He's a classic safety who has the size to match up against bigger receivers and tight ends. TE Carter Runyon, Towson Runyon is an excellent blocker, and as a receiver, he's shown the ability to work himself open against zone coverage in the underneath passing game. Last season, he became only the second player in Towson football history to head to the Hula Bowl, and he was named All-CAA First-Team tight end. OL Marcus Wehr, Montana Wehr started his career at Montana State as a defensive lineman before switching to the offensive line in 2022. In his first season, he started five games before suffering a season-ending injury. The following season, Wehr started 11 games at right tackle and one game at right guard. This past season, Wehr started all 16 games at right guard for Montana State. He's one of the best offensive linemen in the FCS, based on his accolades (All-America first team, unanimous All-Big Sky Conference first team) David Walker, OLB, Central Arkansas Walker is a highly productive FCS prospect, logging 31 sacks and 63 tackles for loss in three seasons while making numerous All-American teams. Walker was a 2024 United Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-UAC, FCS All-American, and FCS Defensive Player of the Year. LB Aaron Smith, South Carolina State Smith plays with impressive sideline-to-sideline fluidity and is arguably the top HBCU prospect in the class. OL Charles Grant, William & Mary The Eagles are looking to get younger along the offensive line and hosted several intriguing prospects on Top 30 visits. William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant was a two-time FCS All-American. Grant allowed just two sacks over the past three seasons combined and started his final 36 collegiate games at left tackle. Grant, a former high school wrestler, was invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl all-star game and scheduled visits with the Houston Texans, Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. OL Nash Jones, Texas State Jones began his career at Incarnate Word before finishing it at Texas State. A versatile prospect, he played left tackle, right tackle, and left guard during his career. In 2024, he didn't allow a sack on his 458 pass-blocking snaps at left guard and also earned a 71.1 PFF run-blocking grade. DT Joe Evans, UTSA Evans began his career at LSU before landing at UTSA. A season-ending injury in 2024 limited him to five games, but in 2023, he posted a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade. OL Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M Vinson was named First Team All-SWAC for his play in 2024 and a First-Team FCS All-American. He accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl and was the lone invite from an HBCU program at the 2025 NFL Combine. Vinson plays with a physical, aggressive mentality and loves to set the tone in the run game. The North Carolina native was a four-year starter at left tackle and projects as a developmental talent at the NFL level. Vinson measured 6-6 304 pounds in Mobile and started 48 games at offensive tackle during his career.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Northwest Florida Lady Raiders celebrate third national title in five years
NICEVILLE, Fla. (WMBB) – Generations of Northwest Florida State Raiders fans gathered to celebrate the 2025 NJCAA Champions. A celebration was held Tuesday for the Northwest Florida Raiders as they marked their third national championship title since 2021. The Lady Raiders secured their title after defeating Shelton State Community College on April 1 in Wyoming. Generations of Raiders fans gathered today to celebrate the national champions, taking pictures and collecting autographs. This victory marks the third national title in five years for the team. Head coach Bart Walker reflected on the team's resilience, noting a pattern throughout the years. Despite setbacks, the team has always come out stronger. 'Ironic,' Walker said. 'We lost the state championship in 2021, won a national championship. We lost a state championship in 2023, won a national championship. We lost a state championship this year, and won a championship.' The Lady Raiders finished their season with a 32-3 record, including a loss in the state championship game against Chipola College (Marianna), which fueled the fire needed to prepare for the national tournament. Northwest Florida State President Mel Ponder credited the team's success to the culture established by Coach Walker and his staff. 'It shows that they can recognize talent and not only see it but show how they can function as a team,' Ponder said. 'Each player is a phenomenal talent on their own, but when you have a coach like Coach Walker who can recognize that talent and get them to work together, it leads to the best synergy, passion, and teamwork. That's how greater things are achieved.' Both Ponder and Walker praised the selflessness of the individual players, acknowledging the significant impact it had on the team's success this season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
