BOULDER — There was only one way the Colorado football team could break the huddle before Monday’s practice.

“Dom on three. 1, 2, 3 … Dom!” the Buffaloes yelled before the first practice of the spring.

The Colorado team took the field less than 24 hours after learning their teammate, rising junior quarterback Dominiq Ponder, died in a single-car crash early Sunday in Boulder. Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3 when he lost control, went through a guardrail and stuck an electrical pole and rolled down an embankment where the vehicle caught fire, according to law enforcement. 

The 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Ponder was from Opa-locka, Fla., and played in high school at Carol City.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders posted Sunday on X. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1.”

Sanders is scheduled to address media Friday.

Veteran safety and former walk-on Ben Finneseth said Monday he heard the news from one of Ponder’s closest friends, wide receiver Tagert Bardin, who went to high school with Finneseth in Durango.

A group of players, including Finneseth, had just returned from church and word was beginning to spread around the team about what happened to Ponder.

“That was tough, to see the look on (Barden’s) face. It sucked,” Finneseth said Monday. “You can’t brace for something like that. I’ve never really had somebody pass away that I’m this close with before. It was tough.”

The Buffs met as a team at 5 p.m. Sunday to decide whether they wanted to go forward with the start of spring ball the following morning.

“Coach Prime asked us if we wanted to work. We decided as a team (that) Dom wouldn’t have missed a day. He wouldn’t have missed a workout. That’s what he would’ve wanted for us,” Finneseth said. “He would’ve said, ‘Life’s gotta move on. We’ve got championships to win and we still have goals and the clocks are still rolling. The world’s still gonna spin. Don’t stop just because I’m gone.’ Obviously, there’s a lot of emotions (Sunday) and a lot of guys breaking down and tearing up, but we gotta keep working. That was the biggest thing. We gotta be there for each other.”

Entering his third season with the program and as one of the veteran members of the quarterback room, Ponder had become a respected leader. He spoke to the group ahead of the start of winter workouts with a simple message: “Get out of your feelings and work as hard as you can,” new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion said Monday.

Ponder’s reputation among the CU roster and with the coaches was that of a hard worker. He was a walk-on who appeared in one game over his first two seasons in Boulder. He was often in the quarterbacks room often before the crack of dawn. He was willing to go above and beyond for teammates, they said, including picking up newcomer and fellow quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne for practice every day.

“Every person that he touched, he made an impact on in this program, whether it was (on) offense or defense, a kicker, a walk-on, a coach. Dom had an impact on everybody,” Marion said. “They saw how hard he worked, how hard he wanted it, to prove that he could play at the collegiate level and prove he could be a college quarterback. In an era where you have to force people to work hard, you had to tell Dom to stop working so hard. His energy was contagious.”

That was the impression Ponder left on Marion, someone who only had known Ponder for a few months. Those who knew him for multiple years, like Finneseth, described him as “more than a brother.”

“He lit up any room that he walked into,” Finneseth said. “He was always smiling. I love Dom. He brought (out) the best in the people around him. He’s gonna be missed.”

CU has 15 spring practices before the Black & Gold spring game April 11. Finneseth said the Buffs are mourning the loss of Ponder, a beloved teammate.

“We’ve still got goals, still got a mission and this is just another, ‘Why?’” Finneseth said. “For some of the guys that maybe think their ‘Why?’ isn’t as significant, that’s your ‘Why?’ now. We’re going to honor Dom with everything that we do from now on. It was a day of emotions (Sunday), but we came together and we’ll continue to come together.

“The biggest thing I wanted us to get away from this is it can either mold us or tear us apart. It ain’t gonna tear us apart because of the team we are and the culture we’re building.”

Players said Monday brought some healing. They are still very much a team in shock.

Marion won’t forget the phone call he received from Ponder’s father on Sunday. Offensive lineman Yahya Attia said he doesn’t want to believe Ponder is really gone. Running back DeKalon Taylor recalled talking to Ponder about tattoos just a few days ago.

Buffs players said they will honor Ponder by going to work.

“Everything we’re gonna do moving forward is for him,” Finneseth said.