Sauce Gardner is one of most electrifying young individuals in the NFL. He is famous for his lockdown defense and confidence on the NFL field. His net worth is $15 million as of March, 2025.
Quick Facts
Real Name | Ahmad Gardner |
Date of Birth | August 31, 2000 |
Place of Birth | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
Age | 24 years (as of 2024) |
Height | 6 feet 3 inches (190 centimetres) |
Weight | 200 pounds (91 kilograms) |
College | University of Cincinnati |
Football Position | Cornerback |
NFL Team | New York Jets |
NFL Draft | 2022, Round 1, Pick 4 |
Jersey Number | #1 |
Net Worth | Around $15 million (as of 2025) |
Early Life and Education
Ahmad Gardner grew up in Detroit. His football journey started at an early age. He played for his football team at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School. His performance as a receiver and counterback in his school’s team set him apart. His talent earned him a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, where he played for three years (2019-2021).
Gardner’s Performance in his College Team
Gardner’s football career was no joke either. He played three years for his football team and in those years, he scored great records. Overall, he recorded 99 tackles, 9 inception, 16 deflections, and 3 sacks. During these years, he never allowed a single touchdown in coverage on the ground.
Gardner’s Professional Career
After Cincinniti, now it was time for Ahmad to make waves in the NFL.New York Jets selected Gardner as their fourth overall in the NFL Draft in 2022. His performance was on fire during his rookie season.
After Ronnie Lott in 1981, Ahmad became the first rookie cornerback to be named first-team All-Pro. Gardner’s career stats boomed in the 17 weeks of the NFL season 2024. His stats include 181 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1.0 slack, 3 interceptions, and 40 pass deflections.
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Gardner’s Career Stats in the NFL
Rookie Season 2022:
During his 3 years in the NFL, Gardner has made a great name for himself. He played in all the 17 games for the New York Jets. He started all the games, recording a total of 75 tackles. From the 75 tackles, 51 were solo and 24 were assisted. He also deflected 20 passes. Besides that, he had 2 inceptions, which he returned for 19 yards. His longest return was 16 yards.
Rookie Season 2023:
Gardner did not hesitate to further solidify his status in the NFL. He played in 16 games and started all of them in the 2023 season. His games in this season recorded 57 total tackles. From the 57 tackles, 41 were solo and 16 were assisted. He did not have any interceptions this year but passed 11 deflections.
His performance in this season earned him another First-Time All-Pro selection, making it his consecutive year to earn this prestigious title. This year, he was also selected for the Pro Bowl for the second time.
Rookie Season 2024:
By 2024, Gardner was unstoppable and showed great defensive skills. He played 15 games in the 2024 season and started all of them. In these games, he achieved a total of 49 tackles, of which 36 were solo tackles and the other 13 were assisted. In this season, he managed to achieve his first career sack and forced fumble. He also attained 9 deflections and 1 interception.
Recognition and Awards
Gardner has achieved multiple awards during his football years. When he played for his college team, he gained:
- Consensus All-American (2021)
- First-Team All-American (2021)
- Unanimous AAC Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
- Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist (2021)
- FWAA All-American Team (2020,2021); first UC player to win this twice
- First-Team All-ACC (2019, 2020, 2021)
- Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) Freshman All-American Team (2019)
- Pro Football Focus Third-Team All-America (2019)
- The Athletic Freshman All-America Team (2019)
- Cincinnati Bearcats’ Newcomer of the Year (2019)
During his NFL career, he has earned these awards:
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2022)
- First-Team All-Pro (2022,2023)
- Pro Bowl Selection (2022, 2023)
- PFWA All Rookie Team (2022,2023)
- First-Team All-Pro; Youngest player in NFL history to earn this as a rookie (2022)