TicketsCINCINNATI – Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner was named to the All-America First Team by CBS Sports, ESPN and The Athletic.
Gardner, a junior from Detroit, Mich., has cemented himself as one of the nation's top defensive players from his boundary cornerback position. Although he is rarely tested, the Detroit, Mich., native has 35 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, three sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 2021.
Per Pro Football Focus, Gardner has never given up a touchdown in his career, which spans more than 1,000 coverage snaps. He has only given up 117 receiving yards this season in 13 games.
"Sauce" was named the PFF AAC Defensive Player of the Year along with being unanimously voted the AAC Defensive Player of the Year by the conference's coaches. He was a Paycom Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist this season as well, given to the best defensive back in the nation.
These awards are not exactly unexpected for Gardner, as he was named a midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic, Sporting News and CBS Sports. He is a three-time All-AAC First Team selection and was a First Team All-American in 2020 by USA Today and the Football Writers Association of America.
His teammate, cornerback Coby Bryant, also picked up second-team accolades from CBS Sports. Bryant is a finalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award which will be announced Thursday night.
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Gardner, a junior from Detroit, Mich., has cemented himself as one of the nation's top defensive players from his boundary cornerback position. Although he is rarely tested, the Detroit, Mich., native has 35 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, three sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 2021.
Per Pro Football Focus, Gardner has never given up a touchdown in his career, which spans more than 1,000 coverage snaps. He has only given up 117 receiving yards this season in 13 games.
"Sauce" was named the PFF AAC Defensive Player of the Year along with being unanimously voted the AAC Defensive Player of the Year by the conference's coaches. He was a Paycom Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist this season as well, given to the best defensive back in the nation.
These awards are not exactly unexpected for Gardner, as he was named a midseason All-American by the Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic, Sporting News and CBS Sports. He is a three-time All-AAC First Team selection and was a First Team All-American in 2020 by USA Today and the Football Writers Association of America.
His teammate, cornerback Coby Bryant, also picked up second-team accolades from CBS Sports. Bryant is a finalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award which will be announced Thursday night.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Athletics, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.