National Football Foundation

Believed to be the only player in the FBS currently working toward a second master's degree, Florida State's Christian Ponder has distinguished himself as one of the all-time elite leaders on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

Ponder, a native of Colleyville, Texas, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in finance in just two and a half years. He received an MBA in May 2010 and is now working towards a master's in sports management. He is a four-time ACC Honor Roll member and has twice been selected to the Academic All-ACC team.

Last season, Ponder was named an Honorable Mention All-ACC pick, selected as a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Manning awards. As a junior, he ranked sixth all-time in the ACC by producing 321.8 yards of total offense per game. This season, he has captained the No. 16 Seminoles to the top of the ACC Atlantic Division by connecting on 110-of-182 passes for 1,187 yards with 12 touchdowns and has been named a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist. Overall, Ponder ranks among the top ten Florida State signal callers with 522 completions on 848 attempts for 6,015 yards for 41 touchdowns.

Ponder leads all Florida State athletes in community service hours performed and was named one of the ACC's Top Six Service Award winners. A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he has volunteered his time with the United Way, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, Children's Miracle Network, Leon County Animal Shelter and Tallahassee Boy's Town to name a few. Ponder was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 12th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and started 36 games from 2011-14, throwing for 6,658 yards and 38 touchdowns and rushing for 639 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2012, he led the Vikings to a 10-6 record and a postseason appearance. Ponder is currently a member of the Oakland Raiders.