Sauce Gardner

Gardner grew up in Detroit, raised by his mother, Alisa Gardner. He is a practicing Christian.

His nickname dates back to childhood. A youth football coach dubbed him "Sauce" at age six, initially calling him "A1 Sauce Sweet Feet Gardner" before shortening the handle. The moniker stuck throughout his playing career. Following his entry into the NFL in 2022, he partnered with restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings to release a signature barbecue flavor called "Sauce Sauce".

His date of birth became a public talking point in 2026. Multiple sports databases and video games erroneously listed him as born in 2000 rather than August 31, 2001, prompting Gardner to publicly clarify his records and age during Colts minicamp.

At Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit, Gardner played wide receiver and cornerback. In the Division 2 state championship game, he caught four passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The Associated Press named him an All-State selection at cornerback. He entered college as a three-star recruit, choosing the University of Cincinnati over more than a dozen other Division I scholarship offers.

Playing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2019, Gardner recorded 31 tackles and intercepted three passes, returning two for touchdowns. He was the lone true freshman voted to the American Athletic Conference first-team. He secured starting duties as a sophomore and built on that foundation during his junior campaign in 2021. That year, he earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and consensus All-American recognition, helping Cincinnati become the first Group of Five program to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The New York Jets selected Gardner fourth overall in the 2022 NFL draft. He became the highest-drafted cornerback in franchise history. Head coach Robert Saleh paired him with fellow starter D.J. Reed in the defensive backfield.

Gardner started all 17 regular-season games in 2022, registering 75 tackles, two interceptions, and a league-leading 20 passes defensed. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He also became the first rookie cornerback named first-team All-Pro since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

In 2023, Gardner tallied 57 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and a forced fumble across 16 starts, earning his second straight Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections. With that honor, he became the first cornerback in league history to earn first-team All-Pro recognition in each of his first two NFL seasons. He continued starting through 2024, recording his first career sack on Deebo Samuel during the season opener against San Francisco.

On November 4, 2025, the Jets traded Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts ahead of the NFL trade deadline. In exchange, New York received wide receiver Adonai Mitchell alongside first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027.

Gardner joined the Colts secondary and made his team debut against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany. He finished his split 2025 season across New York and Indianapolis with 36 total tackles and nine passes defended.