TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner (Detroit, Michigan/Martin Luther King) was named to the 2019 Football Writers Association of America-Shaun Alexander Freshman All-America Team presented by Stand Together, the FWAA announced Monday.
Gardner is only UC's second honoree on the FWAA freshman team, joining former OL Parker Ehinger, who earned the accolade in 2012. The FWAA has presented a Freshman All-America team annually since 2001.
A First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, Gardner was also tabbed by Pro Football Focus as a third-team All-America selection and an All-Freshman team honoree while The Athletic named him to their Freshman All-America team.
The first-year player, erupted onto the scene in a huge way in a 27-24 upset win over UCF with a game-changing 16-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC a lead it would not relinquish at Nippert Stadium. Gardner added a second pick-6 at ECU, becoming the fifth UC player all time to have a pair of interception returns for a TD in the same season and first since UC corners coach Mike Mickens in 2007. He played in all 13 games and moved into the starting lineup against UConn and started the final six contests of the season.
Gardner finished the campaign with 31 tackles and 11 passes defended. According to PFF College, Gardner was one of the most frequently targeted DBs in 2019, ranking No. 15 in snaps/target. He finished as PFF College's No. 6 overall cornerback and No. 7 with a 90.0 coverage grade, allowing no touchdowns and only a 39.4 passer rating against him.
UC (11-3) closed the 2019 season with an American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and a win in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. The Bearcats won 11 games for only the fourth time in school history while the back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019 occurred for only the second time in UC's 132 seasons of football.
The Bearcats will open the 2020 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Austin Peay inside Nippert Stadium.
ABOUT SHAUN ALEXANDER
Shaun Alexander, a native of Florence, Kentucky who attended Boone Country HS, is a former All-Pro running back with the Seattle Seahawks (2000-07) and Washington Redskins (2008) and a former All-SEC player at Alabama (1995-99). He finished a four-year career with the Crimson Tide holding 15 records including 3,565 career rushing yards and most touchdowns (5) in a game. He was drafted by Seattle as the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, and in his second season had a breakout year with 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns, including a franchise-record 266 yards on 35 carries in a memorable ESPN Sunday Night Football game against Oakland. Today Alexander travels the country speaking and teaching people about the things he is passionate about – his Christian faith, marriage, fatherhood, football, winning, leading and love.
ABOUT STAND TOGETHER
The Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by supporting the creative solutions of individuals and organizations who are driving dynamic entrepreneurship in communities across the country and helping people transform their lives. Founded in 2016, the Foundation partners with the nation's most effective and top-performing non-profits to help them deepen and grow their impact through innovative solutions to break barriers for people in poverty so that they can realize their potential.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
2019 FWAA Freshman All-America Committee: Shaun Alexander; Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal (MW); Mark Blaudschun, TMGCollegeSports.com (ACC); Scott Dochterman, The Athletic (Big Ten); Michael Griffith, Freshman Focus; Mike Griffith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Chair/Independents); Tommy Hicks, Freelance (Sun Belt); Ron Higgins, Tiger Rag (SEC); Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star (Big 12); Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel (American Athletic); Nick Piotrowicz, Toledo Blade (MAC); Steve Richardson, FWAA; Grant Traylor, Huntington Herald-Dispatch (Conference USA); Ryan Young, Rivals.com (Pac-12).
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
Gardner is only UC's second honoree on the FWAA freshman team, joining former OL Parker Ehinger, who earned the accolade in 2012. The FWAA has presented a Freshman All-America team annually since 2001.
A First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, Gardner was also tabbed by Pro Football Focus as a third-team All-America selection and an All-Freshman team honoree while The Athletic named him to their Freshman All-America team.
The first-year player, erupted onto the scene in a huge way in a 27-24 upset win over UCF with a game-changing 16-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC a lead it would not relinquish at Nippert Stadium. Gardner added a second pick-6 at ECU, becoming the fifth UC player all time to have a pair of interception returns for a TD in the same season and first since UC corners coach Mike Mickens in 2007. He played in all 13 games and moved into the starting lineup against UConn and started the final six contests of the season.
Gardner finished the campaign with 31 tackles and 11 passes defended. According to PFF College, Gardner was one of the most frequently targeted DBs in 2019, ranking No. 15 in snaps/target. He finished as PFF College's No. 6 overall cornerback and No. 7 with a 90.0 coverage grade, allowing no touchdowns and only a 39.4 passer rating against him.
UC (11-3) closed the 2019 season with an American Athletic Conference East Division Championship and a win in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. The Bearcats won 11 games for only the fourth time in school history while the back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019 occurred for only the second time in UC's 132 seasons of football.
The Bearcats will open the 2020 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Austin Peay inside Nippert Stadium.
ABOUT SHAUN ALEXANDER
Shaun Alexander, a native of Florence, Kentucky who attended Boone Country HS, is a former All-Pro running back with the Seattle Seahawks (2000-07) and Washington Redskins (2008) and a former All-SEC player at Alabama (1995-99). He finished a four-year career with the Crimson Tide holding 15 records including 3,565 career rushing yards and most touchdowns (5) in a game. He was drafted by Seattle as the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, and in his second season had a breakout year with 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns, including a franchise-record 266 yards on 35 carries in a memorable ESPN Sunday Night Football game against Oakland. Today Alexander travels the country speaking and teaching people about the things he is passionate about – his Christian faith, marriage, fatherhood, football, winning, leading and love.
ABOUT STAND TOGETHER
The Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by supporting the creative solutions of individuals and organizations who are driving dynamic entrepreneurship in communities across the country and helping people transform their lives. Founded in 2016, the Foundation partners with the nation's most effective and top-performing non-profits to help them deepen and grow their impact through innovative solutions to break barriers for people in poverty so that they can realize their potential.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.
2019 FWAA Freshman All-America Committee: Shaun Alexander; Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal (MW); Mark Blaudschun, TMGCollegeSports.com (ACC); Scott Dochterman, The Athletic (Big Ten); Michael Griffith, Freshman Focus; Mike Griffith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Chair/Independents); Tommy Hicks, Freelance (Sun Belt); Ron Higgins, Tiger Rag (SEC); Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star (Big 12); Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel (American Athletic); Nick Piotrowicz, Toledo Blade (MAC); Steve Richardson, FWAA; Grant Traylor, Huntington Herald-Dispatch (Conference USA); Ryan Young, Rivals.com (Pac-12).
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.