Samantha Ponder Has Three Children With a Former NFL Star
The former ESPN sportscaster was stuck in controversy due to a situation one of her daughters lived through.
Published Nov. 13 2025, 9:40 a.m. ET
The world of professional sports promises to deliver non-stop action, but it can also be the home of fairy tales. Samantha Ponder turned her sports journalism career into the center of her life, leading to the formation of her family.
How many children does Samantha have? Here's what we know about the kids the sportscaster has raised alongside Chris Ponder, a former NFL quarterback known for his time with the Minnesota Vikings. The kids continue to grow in a family that adores football.
Who are Samantha Ponder's children?
Samantha's personal life is as interesting as her career at ESPN. Samantha and Chris have three children together, with the youngest member of the family being named Price. The third baby arrived in 2018, four years after the birth of her oldest sibling.
Samantha and Chris constantly remind people of how their children are their priority through their social media accounts. The former Sunday NFL Countdown star uploads images featuring her entire family across holidays.
Bowden Sainte-Claire is the name of the first baby the couple had. One child wasn't enough for the former ESPN star and the former Vikings player. Their only son, Robinson True, was born three years after his sister.
There's a long way to go until the Ponder children go to college. Chris and Samantha have plenty of time to create unforgettable memories alongside those they love the most.
Professional football is all around the Ponder kids' lives. If they follow in their parents' footsteps, Robinson, Bowden, and Price could grow up to become either professional athletes or journalists. Regardless of the paths they choose, the siblings will always be close to the action of the NFL.
The family can spend a lot of time together now that both Chris and Samantha have left the peaks of their respective careers in the rearview mirror. Playing professional football can be dangerous.
Samantha Ponder causes controversy with her comments.
Raising a teenager is hard for anyone. However, there was one situation that saw Samantha at the center of a controversial issue. In October of 2025, Samantha shared a post on X claiming that her daughter was "guarding an obviously naturally born boy in a girls' [basketball] tournament."
Samantha even went on to blame the teen's parents for the situation.
Samantha also stated: "There is no way in this country, especially in sports, you shouldn’t be able to say on your social media accounts, ‘I don’t think men should be in women’s sports.’ This is something – I talk to athletes all the time, 99.9 percent of professional athletes, like we know this is ridiculous."
Samantha continues to raise her children during a time in which even the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has negative opinions regarding the LGBTQ+ community.