Marion Ponds

Position:
Defensive Back
Ht./Wt.:
6-1 / 187
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Wichita, Kan.
Prev School:
Coffeyville CC
High School:
Wichita East

2023: Made six appearances with no starts ... tallied three solo tackles and one assisted tackle ... career-high two total tackles against Georgia Southern (Sept. 9).

BEFORE BALL STATE: Played 11 games over two seasons with Coffeyville JC ... in eight games as a sophomore in 2022, tallied 22 tackles with one tackle for loss and five pass deflections ... appeared in three games as a freshman, tallying five stops.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered one season at Wichita East High School under head coach Ene Akpan, after playing previously at Valley Center High School ... spent time as a cornerback and safety while at Wichita East, having played running back previously at Valley Center ... team captain as a senior at Wichita East when he was named first team all-state and first team all-conference ... Wichita East's defensive player of the year, generating 25 tackles, five past break-ups and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

PERSONAL: Son of Tamika Washington and Mario Ponds ... he is the third of nine children ... dad was a track athlete at TCU ... older brother, Mario Jr., played basketball and ran track at Dodge City CC ... hopes to major in finance at Ball State, or exercise and sports science ... avid video gamer also enjoys fishing and bowling ... among his favorite athletes are Kobe Bryant and Deion Sanders ... favorite entertainers include Mike Epps, Martin Lawrence, Ice Cube and Denzel Washington ... played running back all his life until he began playing cornerback as a senior in high school ... using a nickname common to defensive backs, he uses @PondsIsland as his Twitter handle.