Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner: 'My Family Had The Best Christmas Ever'

The rookie NFL phenom is fulfilling his wildest dreams.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Dec 29, 2022 11:59 AM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — UC product Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner appeared on the Official Jets Podcast this week and discussed how his family's Christmas changed in a big way this year.

"I can truly say my family probably had the best Christmas ever. You know, I just gotta give thanks to the NFL, to the Jets, and the game of football because I honor it so much, and the things that my family wanted, the kids, you know, I was able to make that happen. So, you know, that was great and I'm truly blessed for that."

Gardner has stepped into the NFL and immediately dominated. He is on pace to be the first rookie since Marcus Peters (2015) to lead the league in pass breakups. He rarely gets targeted now and is the first Jets rookie to make a Pro Bowl since the late 80s.

Gardner got his mom a mink coat for Christmas, and he went in-depth on her influence on his life and how she molded his mindset to reach the NFL.

"The area where I grew up is a place called Seven Mile on the east side [of Detroit]," Gardner said. "It was a tough area, a lot of violence going on. But, you know, like I said, my mom was my role model, she my superhero. With all that violence that was going on, my mom was strict, strict about it. She wanted me to, you know, take a different route and be on a different path. You know what I mean? So, like, I was one of those people who always wanted to be different. No, my mom is telling me like, 'your friends they do this they do that. What are you gonna do to be different if you want to go where you want to go?'

"So I remember, I could only control what I could control. So I said I was never gonna smoke or drink. And I never did. I still never have you. I pride myself on stuff like that because I remember in college, people used to peer pressure me but, you know, I'm a man of my word."

Gardner's accomplished all the things he said he would so far in his young NFL career.

Now he gets to face former running mate Coby Bryant and the Seahawks this week. Gardner doesn't like doing jersey swaps but he's excited to get Bryant's on Sunday.

Check out the game at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX via fuboTV—start your free trial here.

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