Jets CB Sauce Gardner officially graduates from University of Cincinnati
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner received his diploma from the University of Cincinnati Friday, where he played football collegiately from 2019-2021.
Gardner made it to Cincinnati in time for his commencement ceremony after flying from Canton, Ohio, where the Jets played the night prior in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Cleveland Browns.
“It kind of feels like game day,” Gardner said after receiving his diploma, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s a box that I feel like was unchecked. My mom always told me to put school first. It’s big for me and I know it’s big for her as well.”
Gardner, 22, was a standout during his three seasons with the Bearcats, earning first-team All-AAC honors each season. He earned the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 as one of the best players in all of college football.
Gardner said he was influenced by former Bearcats in the NFL who also earned degrees from the university.
“Guys like Desmond Ridder, guys like Travis Kelce,” Gardner said. “That just motivated me. Travis Kelce didn’t have to get his either, you know, Super Bowl champion, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, all of that. That’s motivation.”
The NFL took notice of Gardner’s talent, and the Jets made him the fourth overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming Cincinnati’s highest-drafted player. It didn’t take long for Gardner to make an impact during his rookie campaign. Gardner quickly became one of the best cornerbacks, pacing the league with 20 passes defended. He took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a first-team All-Pro selection. He became the first rookie cornerback named a first-team All-Pro since Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott in 1981.
Sauce Gardner recognized as one of NFL’s best
Gardner took the No. 23 spot in the 2023 edition of the NFL Top 100, as voted on by the players.
“Just the level in which he played, and the consistency that he’s played with as a rookie has been, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it before,” Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich recently said, via the team’s website. “And to think that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of where he can go. Which is cool for his future.”