When Cam Newton scores a touchdown, which is often, he rips open an imaginary shirt, imitating Superman.

When Christian Ponder threw his first NFL touchdown on Sunday, he ran down the field firing imaginary guns like the Shooter McGavin character from "Happy Gilmore."

While one channels a hero and the other embraces a parody, Newton and Ponder, two rookie quarterbacks who will meet today in Charlotte, share an intriguing set of connections and similarities.

They worked out together this summer with St. Paul native and former Florida State star Chris Weinke. They were both selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. Their fathers tried out for the Dallas Cowboys in 1983. They might have the four best legs this side of Secretariat.

What might be most interesting about them is that they have the athletic ability to alter the way the quarterback position is played, yet seem determined to prove they can win games with their arms.

The popularity of the spread offense in high school and college has produced a tremendous set of young, athletic quarterbacks. Newton, Ponder and Tim Tebow are all big and fast as decathletes, and the game's hottest quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is a gifted runner and scrambler.

However much he runs, Ponder says he belongs in the pocket like a lucky penny.

"I think you definitely win from the pocket first," Ponder said. "With Aaron, he can run when he wants to, but if you look at the passes he was completing on Sunday, he's incredibly accurate. I think eventually this might change, but right now, even if you look at Michael Vick, he's a great runner and he hasn't won a championship yet. He's an extremely good player, but I think ultimately you've got to win from the pocket."

Ponder grew up near Dallas, watching Troy Aikman, but he idolized Broncos great John Elway.

Elway became one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL but didn't win a Super Bowl until Mike Shanahan installed a precision-passing offense. Then, Elway won two.

"It's great to be able to run, but with me, I try to buy time to throw the ball," Ponder said. "I think you've got to do that. Even with Vick, he's changed his game. I think he's doing a lot better now because he runs to throw instead of running to run."

Ponder might be the second-most-impressive athlete ever to play quarterback for the Vikings, behind Daunte Culpepper. Newton might be the most impressive athlete ever to play quarterback for anyone at any level. "I would like to say I'm as athletic as him," Ponder said with a smile. "But probably not."

Ponder is 6-3, 227 and fast. Newton is 6-5, 248 and faster.

"You will find that this kid Christian Ponder can throw from the run a little bit like this other guy Aaron Rodgers," former NFL coach and current NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci said. "He's amazing on the move."

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys personnel guru, wrote after two NFL games that Newton "is the most impressive rookie quarterback I've seen come into the league."

In his first start, Ponder threw for two touchdowns and almost upset the defending Super Bowl champion Packers.

In the first seven games of his career, Newton threw for 2,103 yards, or 508 more than Peyton Manning threw for in his first seven games. Newton has rushed for seven touchdowns and ranks second in the league behind Adrian Peterson.

Newton is superior to Ponder as an athlete, but superior athletes haven't always made the best quarterbacks. "I think my arm is strong enough," Ponder said. "If you look back at the guys who had extremely strong arms, they weren't necessarily the most successful."

Newton, the guy Ponder threw passes to and competed with this summer, could become the best athlete to ever become a great quarterback. Ponder will settle for becoming a great quarterback.

"Super Bowls," Ponder said, "are won from the pocket."

Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon and weekdays at 2 p.m. on 1500ESPN. His Twitter name is SouhanStrib. • jsouhan@startribune.com