Sauce Gardner
Detroit-raised NFL cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, a two-time first-team All-Pro sharing his football journey and giving back to his hometown.
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Latest
Sauce’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
- First Colts game, first win in blue2025 · Colts debut in Berlin
Indianapolis Colts - Back-to-back first-team All-Pro seasons2022-2023 · New York Jets cornerback
NFL - Defensive Rookie of the Year2022 season · AP award winner
NFL Honors - Cincinnati’s consensus All-American2021 · Bearcats cornerback
Cincinnati Bearcats
Overview
- Full name
- Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
- Hometown
- Detroit, Michigan
- Position
- Cornerback, Indianapolis Colts
- College
- University of Cincinnati, 2019-2021
- NFL arrival
- Fourth overall pick by the New York Jets in 2022
- Breakout
- 2022 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Mini bio
Detroit beginnings.
Ahmad Gardner grew up in Detroit and got the nickname Sauce from his youth football coach at six. Before college, he played both receiver and defensive back and helped his high school team win a Michigan Division 3 state championship in 2018.
Becoming a Bearcat.
Gardner arrived at Cincinnati as a three-star recruit in 2019. His freshman breakthrough included a touchdown on an interception return against UCF. By 2021 he was a consensus All-American and unanimous American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, helping Cincinnati reach the College Football Playoff.
An immediate NFL impact.
The Jets selected him fourth overall in 2022. He won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned first-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons. In November 2025, he moved to Indianapolis in a trade and made his Colts debut in an overtime win in Berlin.
A connection to home.
His public life also includes work beyond football. In September 2026, Gardner and his partners at Supreme Construction Group responded to a local news report by offering help to a Detroit family whose home had been damaged by a tornado.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2025-presentIndianapolis ColtsCornerback
- 2022-2025New York JetsCornerback
- 2019-2021Cincinnati BearcatsCornerback
Awards
Quotes
I hope I'm showing them that anything is possible.Sauce Gardner, What’s Your Why interview with Caroline Hendershot
Asked what he hoped people following his journey would take from it.
Trivia
- His childhood nickname grew out of “A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner.”
- He told the Jets he loved video games growing up and still enjoyed them as a professional.
- He scored twice as a receiver in his high school’s 2018 state championship win.
- At Cincinnati, he returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for a touchdown against East Carolina in 2021.
Find Sauce
Follow his football journey and life beyond the field.
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