Samantha Ponder is an American writer and producer who recently hosted Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN. Before this, she was a reporter and host for ESPN’s college football coverage and a basketball sideline reporter. Ponder took over for Erin Andrews on College GameDay and co-hosted the Saturday morning edition on ESPNU. She also served as the sideline reporter for ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football from August 2012 to 2014 and appeared on the Longhorn Network, a Texas-focused regional network owned by ESPN.
Samantha Ponder Biography
Samantha Steele Ponder’s birthname is Samantha Sainte-Claire Steele and she was born on 11 December 1985 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA and she is 38 years old as of 2023. She is a White American who believes in Christianity. Her height is 5′ 6″ inches. 1imdb
Samantha Ponder Education
Samantha attended Central High School there. After high school, she initially went to The King’s College in New York City. While in New York, she applied for a hostess job at ESPN Zone, where she met Ben Keeperman, a college football researcher with ABC Sports Radio. This connection led to an internship at the network and eventually a researcher-assistant job with ABC-TV’s college football studio show.
Ponder later transferred to Liberty University when she was offered a job as a sideline reporter for the Liberty Flames sports network by the university’s Senior Sports Producer. After graduating in 2009, she worked as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports, covering Pac-10 and Big 12 college basketball and football games. On July 7, 2011, ESPN’s Longhorn Network hired Ponder as a sideline reporter. 2wikipediaÂ
Samantha Ponder Parents
Samantha was born to a missionary couple, Cindi and Jerry Steele. Her parents established the charity foundation M.A.D. Ministries, which support education, college scholarships, athletic training, and housing, and also provide spiritual practice to the young generation. Ponder has an older sister and two younger brothers.
Samantha Ponder Husband & Kids
Samantha has three kids from her husband Christian Ponder, a daughter Bowden ”Scout” Sainte-Claire Ponder, a son Robinson True Ponder, and another daughter Price Ponder. 3imdbÂ
Samantha Ponder Career Journey
Samantha began her career as a sideline reporter with Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports and covered college basketball and football, particularly Pac-10 and Big 12 games. At just 18, she landed her first major interview with Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis Rodman.
On July 7, 2011, Ponder joined ESPN’s Longhorn Network as a sideline reporter. She was one of the first three hires for the network and soon moved to Austin, Texas, for the role.
In 2012, Ponder replaced Erin Andrews as the host of ESPN’s College GameDay after Andrews left for Fox Sports. Ponder also took over as co-host of the ESPNU edition of the show. From August 2012 to 2014, she served as a regular sideline reporter for ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football, working alongside Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, and David Pollack.
In 2017, rumors surfaced that Ponder might replace Chris Berman on NFL Countdown. Critics argued she was unfit for a football-focused show, questioning her knowledge and experience. However, many others defended Ponder’s abilities as a sports journalist. 4thefamouspeopleÂ
Samantha Ponder’s Net Worth
Samantha earns an average salary of 4.9 million dollars her monthly salary is $408333 as a host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and her reported net worth is 16 million dollars.
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