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ESPN announces Sam Ponder will replace Chris Berman on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; ESPN sideline reporter Sam Ponder prior to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN made it official on Thursday, announcing that veteran journalist Sam Ponder will replace the departed Chris Berman on the network’s weekly Sunday NFL Countdown show. In fact, she will take over for Berman as the show’s sole host.

“Ponder, one of ESPN’s top college football reporters and a contributor to College GameDay since 2012, becomes the new host of Sunday NFL Countdown – just the third in the 32-year history of ESPN’s long-running Sunday morning NFL pregame show. Originally NFL GameDay, Bob Ley launched the program in 1985 before Berman assumed the role a year later, serving as host for an industry record three decades,” the announcement read.

In addition to this, Suzy Kolber will take over hosting duties for the newtork’s complete pre-game coverage of Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, Trey Wingo will host ESPN’s three-day coverage of the annual NFL draft.

Ponder, the wife of free-agent NFL quarterback Christian Ponder, has become a well-liked personality as it relates to ESPN’s college football coverage. Transitioning over to the professional ranks should be a relatively smooth process for the talented broadcaster.

With all that said, it will surely be weird not seeing Berman up to his antics on a weekly basis during the NFL season. Heck, his absence from next month’s NFL draft coverage will be a hard pill for most long-time NFL fans to swallow.

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