PONDER ENTERS FIRST START

Age: 23 (born Feb. 25, 1988)

Hometown: Colleyville, Texas

College: Florida State

Drafted: First round, 12th overall, 2011

In 50 years ... The Vikings have taken three quarterbacks in the first round since they formed in 1961 -- Tommy Kramer of Rice (27th overall, 1977) and Daunte Culpepper of Central Florida (11th overall, 1999).

In 2011 ... Three quarterbacks were taken ahead of Ponder -- Cam Newton of Auburn (Carolina, first overall), Jake Locker of Washington (Tennessee, eighth overall) and Blaine Gabbert of Missouri (Jacksonville, 10th overall). Newton and Gabbert are starting, as is 35th overall choice Andy Dalton of TCU (Cincinnati).

Smart kid: Ponder earned his bachelor's degree in finance in 2 1/2 years and earned his MBA from Florida State in May. On the field, he was a three-year starter whose junior and senior seasons were hampered because of injuries.

The money: Ponder has a four-year contract worth $10.15 million. His signing bonus was $5.88 million, and his base salary this season is $375,000.