Friends, family honor life of University of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder

On Saturday in Boulder, the University of Colorado said goodbye to former quarterback Dominiq Ponder.

Friends and family gathered in the Glen Miller Ballroom on the CU Boulder campus to remember his life and legacy.

Dominiq Ponder was a quarterback for the Buffaloes. He was killed earlier this week in a single-vehicle crash in Boulder County.

Saturday was an emotional day as the Buffs remembered one of their own. The Head Coach Deion Sanders said Dominiq Ponder was a pleasure to have on the team. At the memorial service, Sanders described him as "Always smiling. Always happy. Always loving, caring."

It's a sentiment echoed by his family, who traveled from their home in Florida to take part in the service.

"When you think of Dom, you think of love," his father, Wendell Ponder, shared.

"He laughed at everything, he made jokes about everything. And if he was comfortable with you, you definitely saw his weird side," his sister Monroe Ponder said in a written statement read by their mother, Catrina Ponder.

Dominiq Ponder's brother, Carl Oris, said he found some comfort in knowing that his brother had so many people in his life here in Colorado who cared about him.

"Seeing how many people cared about Dominiq truly means more than words can express," he shared.

His family described him as a joyful person and wanted the CU community to know he would want them to be joyful as well, even in his absence.

Monroe Ponder wrote, "If there's one thing that I know for sure, it's that he would not want us sitting around being sad forever. He would want us to celebrate him, to laugh, to tell his jokes, to go outside, to live big."

His family also wants Buffs fans to know that he will forever be part of the University of Colorado's legacy.

"Dom is with all of you, forever. Amen," Wendell Ponder said.