New York Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner took the NFL world by storm last season. After a season that saw him win Defensive Rookie of the Year and made him PFN’s second-best cornerback, Sauce Gardner has helped turn the Jets’ fortunes around and has become a darling of many around the league.
Where Did Ahmad Gardner Get the Nickname ‘Sauce’?
Sauce Gardner attributes the nickname to one of his youth football coaches, who used it to describe his play style.
“Little league football,” Gardner told NFL Network at an interview during the 2022 NFL Draft Combine, crediting one of his coaches in youth sports, Curtez Harris. “I had the moves. I was playing running back. I was saucy with the juke moves.”
When he was a young player, Harris told Gardner, “To be the man, you have to inherit this sauce.” Gardner’s first nickname was A1, until one day, his coach called him “A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner.”
The nickname stuck. Gardner shortened it to “Sauce” and has since built an entire on-field persona around the name. His nickname has helped him become a fan favorite in college and in the NFL.
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It helps that Gardner can back up the nickname. In college playing for the Cincinnati Bearcats, Sauce collected first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, Sporting News, AFCA, FWAA, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Athletic during his last season. He never allowed a touchdown in college at Cincinnati.
Gardner was taken fourth overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft. He led the league in pass breakups and became the first rookie defensive back to be named a first-team All-Pro since Ronnie Lott in 1981, proving that the “Sauce” translated into the NFL. Additionally, Gardner was the Jets’ first defensive player to be named first-team All-Pro since Jamal Adams in 2019 and the first cornerback since Darrelle Revis in 2011.
Gardner is a significant reason why many are betting on the Jets as Super Bowl contenders. He’s become fast friends with newly arrived quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose camaraderie was well-documented on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
https://t.co/U9oZUiOoaA pic.twitter.com/YRvbpNK8Cb
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 22, 2023
Sauce Gardner says Aaron Rodgers was one of the first people to reach out to him to congratulate him on getting his degree:
“That was love right there” pic.twitter.com/wDR1bvx03Z
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 5, 2023
The Jets are banking on Gardner making opposing QBs look “lost in the Sauce” as time goes on in his NFL career, and the early investment is paying off.