Lovon Ponder

[edit] Biography

CAREER: Underrated third-year safety who enters 2007 as a starter alongside Kenny Phillips...Intelligent and productive player who saw plenty of action in the team's nickel and dime defenses most of the 2005 season and then started nine games in 2006...In two seasons, has started 11 games and has not missed a game...Tied for the team lead with three interceptions in 2005 and has four interceptions in two seasons...Also has 73 tackles, two tackles for loss, one QB pressure, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 12 pass deflections...Even threw a touchdown pass on the only offensive play of his career in 2006...Big hitter who is usually around the football...Solid in run support and has good strength and quickness...Is married to La'Conya and has a two-year-old son, Lamaryi...Double major in liberal arts and criminology.

2006 (SOPHOMORE): Played in all 13 games, making nine starts at safety...Totaled 53 tackles (seventh on the team), two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, seven pass breakups and one interception...Threw a 37-yard touchdown pass on his only offensive snap of his career when he was split wide as a receiver...Played as the nickel back early in the season against Florida State (one assisted tackle) and Florida A&M (five tackles)...Started as the nickel back at Louisville and tallied five tackles (four solo), with one tackle for loss...Against Houston, started at safety in a nickel defense, with Brandon Meriweather moving into the slot. Played the entire game, making four tackles and forcing a key fumble on the 18-yard line in the third quarter that ended a Houston drive...Made his first start at safety against North Carolina, with Meriweather moving to cornerback. Played 59 downs, registering five tackles and three passes defensed. In the first quarter, threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Sam Shields, marking the first TD pass thrown by a UM non-quarterback since Nov. 30, 2002 when punter Freddie Capshaw hit safety Sean Taylor with a 47-yard TD strike on a fake punt against Syracuse (the last defensive player to throw a TD pass was safety Jeff Popovich to tight end Bubba Franks for a 15-yard TD on a fake field goal against Pittsburgh on Sept. 18, 1997)...Started against FIU and registered five tackles and one batted pass. Made his first interception of the season...Played the entire game at Duke, making nine tackles (seven solo), adding one tackle for a loss and one batted pass. Also forced a fumble and recovered another fumble, returning it 43 yards to set up a touchdown...Made seven tackles (three solo) and one pass breakup at Georgia Tech...Did not start vs. Virginia Tech and saw action on just two plays (one tackle), but played on special teams...Started at Maryland when Kenny Phillips was injured. Played on all 34 snaps, making three tackles (two solo)...Started at Virginia and made four solo tackles...Did not start against Boston College but saw considerable action at safety and made four unassisted tackles...Saw limited playing time in the MPC Computers Bowl against Nevada as a reserve safety, but played on special teams.

2005 (FRESHMAN): Redshirt freshman who played in all 12 games, making two starts in a nickel and dime defense...Totaled 20 tackles (15 solo), with five pass breakups and one QB pressure...Tied for the team lead with three interceptions...Saw considerable playing time in nearly every game and was a regular on special teams...Played as a reserve safety and on special teams in his first game as a Hurricane in the season opener at FSU (no tackles)...Played as a nickel and dime back at Clemson, making two solo tackles and one QB pressure...Played as a nickel back and dime back in the home opener vs. Colorado, making one solo tackle...Made his first career start in a dime defense a week later vs. South Florida and made two interceptions, returning them for 44 yards, including a 42-yarder. Added three solo tackles...Played as a reserve safety, registering one assisted tackle, at Duke...Started in a nickel defense at Temple and made five tackles (three solo)...Played in the nickel defense vs. North Carolina, making two solo tackles...Played just four downs at Virginia Tech (one solo tackle)...Made one solo tackle at Wake Forest and got his third interception of the season on the final play of the game, making an end zone grab...Saw action in the nickel defense vs. Georgia Tech, registering two solo tackles and two pass breakups...Tallied two assisted tackles vs. Virginia...Played only on special teams in the Peach Bowl vs. Louisiana State (no tackles).

2004 (REDSHIRT): Redshirted as a freshman...Practiced as a member of the scout team, impressing the coaching staff.

HIGH SCHOOL: One of the top defensive backs in Florida...Four-year starter at safety...Rated the No. 41 prospect in Florida by SuperPrep...Rated the nation's No. 13 safety prospect by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report...Rated the nation's No. 8 safety by Rivals.com...Rated the No. 72 prospect in the Southeast on the Rivals.com Southeast Elite 88...Rated the No. 26 prospect on the Rivals.com Top 50 in Florida...Rated the No. 8 prospect on the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade Top 25...Rated the No. 23 prospect in Florida on the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100...As a senior in 2003, had 106 tackles, four interceptions and recovered five fumbles while helping lead his school to the state championship...As a junior, was named first-team All-Dade County and second-team All-State, when he had eight interceptions and forced eight fumbles...As a sophomore, made more than 80 tackles and had four interceptions...Team's only freshman starter in 2000...A cousin, Tony Smith, played college football at Louisiana State in the 1980s...Chose Miami over North Carolina State, Florida, Georgia, Florida State and Oklahoma...Coached by Joe Zaccheo.

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