‘Mindset and Talent’ -- Ponds Emerges as Shut-Down Cornerback
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A deep pass is launched under an azure sky, an Indiana receiver, a possible touchdown within sight, races down the practice field sideline to catch it, only to face this August camp reality:
D’Angelo Ponds will beat him to the ball.
The sophomore cornerback doesn’t make the interception, but he does deflect the ball to the turf. It’s one example of many since camp began why Ponds, a James Madison transfer, is a shutdown cover guy of the highest order.
“It’s mindset and talent,” head coach Curt Cignetti says when asked how Ponds has stood out. “I don’t know if we have beaten him yet on a pass route. He’s just swallowing that side of the field.”
A 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Ponds doesn’t overwhelm with size, but does with speed, instinct, and football IQ. Put him on opposing teams best receivers and, more often than not, scratch off one offensive threat.
“He’s a good guy for everybody else to watch in terms of how to do it,” Cignetti says.
Watching is needed because Ponds, at least in a press conference setting, downplays his success strategy.
“My mindset is to take it one day at a time. Get one percent better, be the best version of myself, and find a way to get better. That's what separates me.”
Ponds knack for being in the right place at the right time isn’t by accident.
“You’ve got to have a nose for the ball,” he says. “Me being undersized, I have to do everything right to separate myself. Running to the ball is big. One thing I harp on is run to the ball, get to the ball, and make plays.”
Although it’s only a one-year sample, few make plays as well, and it starts, Ponds adds, with consistency of technique. Cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong makes that a point of emphasis.
“He’s helped me a lot,” Ponds says. “He’s helped the whole (cornerbacks) room a lot. He’s big on technique. That’s big for corners. You need technique. It’s being consistent on your technique.”
That’s especially true for cornerbacks in man coverage, he adds.
“The key is technique. Coach harps on it. Trust your technique. Be consistent. That’s it.”
Consistency came quickly to Ponds at James Madison last season. He needed three games to break into the starting lineup, and never let it go. Playing on an island in man coverage is never easy, especially for a freshman, who almost certainly will be picked on by offenses sensing vulnerability.
Opponents picked on Ponds to their regret. He finished with 15 passes defended (fourth best in the country), plus scored a touchdown off a blocked punt by teammate Aiden Fisher. He clinched a victory over Utah State with a fourth-quarter interception, one of his two for the season. He recovered two fumbles and totaled 51 tackles.
That earned Ponds freshman All-American recognition by the Football Writers Association of America as well as second-team All-Sun Belt honors.
More honors could come. He’s made the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list. The award goes to a player who has had the biggest impact on his team on and off the field.
Ponds hopes to duplicate his quick college football adjustment in his Big Ten debut season.
“Coming in as a freshman, you have to earn your stripes and show everybody that you can play,” he says. “That's what I did. Now, I'm doing it here.”
Ponds is one of 31 transfers, 13 from James Madison, seeking to make immediate Hoosier impact.
“Everywhere you have to earn your stripes, especially when you’re new,” he says. “Everybody has to come in and compete.”
Why did Ponds join Cignetti and much of his coaching staff in leaving James Madison to become Hoosiers?
“It was a no-brainer,” he says. “I’d already been successful in the system and had a good relationship with the coaches.”
Ponds is part of promising secondary. He says the group is building chemistry.
“It's coming along well. We've got to focus on communicating. That's what we're working on.”
The work is paying off, sophomore defensive back Amare Ferrell adds.
“We all have good chemistry. We talk a lot on the field. I feel like the secondary is going to be really good.”
IU has an equally strong group of receivers certain to give opponents fits all season.
“We have one of the better receiving rooms in the conference,” Ponds says. “Going against those guys gets me better. We get each other better every day, so when the game comes, it’s easy.”
A feisty practice approaches its conclusion. A Hoosier receiver breaks deep against Ponds. A pass is thrown. Both go up for the ball. Neither catch it.
Another Ponds win.
He’s later asked if any IU receiver has given him problems. Truth supersedes humility.
“Nobody is giving me problems.” Ponds pauses. He flashes a hint of a smile. “Nobody.”