Christian Ponder has started 16 NFL games, the equivalent of a full season. Already he sees the world differently.
He sits at his locker on a Friday, and a handful of reporters ask about his dating life.
"Oh, my gosh," he said later. "That's embarrassing."
He pulls up to a restaurant and pulls on a baseball cap.
"I can go out," he said. "But I try to keep it low-key."
He walks to the line of scrimmage against one of the NFL's best defenses, and his options click into place like a combination lock.
"Now, it's innate," he said.
Ponder has completed 68.6 percent of his passes this season, second among NFL starters. His improvement has been the key to the Vikings winning four of their first six games.