Imago
Dominiq Ponder (Courtesy of University of Colorado)
Imago
Dominiq Ponder (Courtesy of University of Colorado)
Former Colorado Buffaloes’ athlete Dominiq Ponder’s football journey would have seen its first breakthrough in 2026. He was the leader in CU’s practices, putting in consistent hard work and, through some perseverance, would have easily become a reliable Colorado QB. However, on March 1, 2026, tragedy struck the Ponder family.
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Ponder was driving along the Baseline Road in Boulder but crossed into oncoming lanes, eventually striking a utility pole. The 23-year-old died at the scene, just one day before Deion Sanders was to begin his spring practices. All of a sudden, a budding career was no more. . A month after his tragic passing, Dominiq Ponder’s mother is making sure his memory is kept alive through a noble initiative.
Catrina Hughes has launched the 722 Foundation in honor of her departed son. The name is an ode to Ponder’s journey from wearing No. 22 to earning the right to wear a single-digit number (No. 7) on his jersey as a quarterback. The foundation is aimed at the welfare of student-athletes, children’s hospitals, and families who need medical care. The funds that will be raised will go directly toward scholarships for student athletes who demonstrate resilience and character, families in need, and will also start conversations about prudent decision-making.
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“What matters most to me is who Dominiq was as a person. He was a determined student-athlete, a leader, and someone with a huge heart who fiercely loved his family, his teammates, and the game of football,” Dominiq’s mother, Catrina Hughes, told EssentiallySports. “If anything good can come from this loss, it’s the conversations it can start about responsible decision-making, supporting young adults, and making good choices even in ordinary moments.
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Heartbreaking: Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder’s parents have spoken out for the first time since their son‘s tragic car crash and passing.
“I don’t know how people can get through this. Losing a child. I was so proud as a father.”
Ponder was only 23 years old 💔🕊️ pic.twitter.com/sEi4RwhEat
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 4, 2026
“One bad decision can alter everything. Odds are that 95% of the population has made the same decision, but got lucky, and most would never admit to it…That is a big part of why we are starting the Dominiq Ponder 7/22 Foundation, to help student-athletes, support families, and promote awareness so other families hopefully never have to experience this kind of pain.”
Dominiq’s mother has listed the foundation on ‘GoFundMe,’ and currently she has $5.5K as her initial donation goal.
The late quarterback wasn’t a high-profile recruit. Amid a lack of D1 offers, he enrolled at Bethune-Cookman University (FCS) near his home in Opa Locka, Florida. However, his desire to play at the Power-4 level was still alive. So, in 2024, when Deion Sanders came calling for Ponder was overjoyed. It was like his long-awaited dream had been fulfilled.
“He loved Boulder so much and the University of Colorado that he told us over break, he said, ‘I’m never coming home,” Dominiq’s father, Wendel, said. “He said, ‘I love it here so much. He was just around a bunch of good men, and they were turning him into a man. And I was so proud as a father. I couldn’t be more proud.”
March 2 would have been the first day when Dominiq would have ditched his walk-on #22 jersey and worn the #7. Colorado was gearing up for their 2026 spring drills, and his teammates finally believed that Dominiq would grab a role in 2026. During the 2025 season, he appeared in just two games, but 2026 was going to be a breakthrough year.
“[Teammates] saw how hard [Ponder] worked, how hard he wanted it, to prove that he could play at the collegiate level and be a college quarterback,” offensive coordinator Brennan Marion said. “In an era where you have to force people to work hard, you had to tell Dom to stop working so hard.”
Above all, Dominiq was a player just like anyone else. Although his life was cut short at just 23, he made every moment count and lived fully in those 23 years. Those moments will now matter to his loved ones. And through the 722 foundation, his memory will change countless lives and inspire people to make prudent decisions.
Dominiq’s mother urges kids to be aware of their decisions and step in for friends
The fundraiser, Catrina Hughes created 5 days ago, is live, and donations are now pouring in. Apart from helping out people in need and athletes, Hughes also wanted to inspire youngsters to take the right steps in life through this initiative.
“A big part of his legacy will be to encourage young people to please make responsible choices and if possible to have the courage to step in for their friends when one of them isn’t thinking clearly for themselves,” Catrina said. “Kids need to know that it’s ok to intervene, do anything you can do, one small decision can save a life. Don’t be afraid, even if it’s uncomfortable. A difficult conversation is easier than a lifetime of loss. ”
Beyond football, Dominiq was just another kid who loved his mother and the people around him. He never forgot to text ‘good night’ and ‘I love you’ to his mother every day. He was just a “genuine person,” as Dominiq’s childhood friend, Joey Kennedy, remembers him. Now, through this foundation, his legacy will make a tremendous impact, something Dominiq himself would have wanted.
Written by
Edited by
Afreen Kabir