Make no mistake: Just because Gardner isn’t a drinker, it certainly doesn’t mean he doesn’t have another sauce. Some call it swagger; to others it is known as drip.
Gardner, whose mother still refers to him by his legal name Ahmad, sporting a two-tier grill on Saturday that sparkled when he smiled, clearly has it, no matter what you call it.
“When I’m in a calm mood, I would say it’s me Ahmad,” Gardner said. “But Sauce is inside of me, so I’m always cocky.”
The sass has been with Gardner ever since he first got the nickname while playing youth football, which was around the same time he realized he could have a real future in the sport. On Saturday, he said he should thank his mother for helping him get to this point.
“We grew up in Detroit and had nothing,” Gardner said. “But what I had was a mother who always made the impossible possible. What I wanted, she gave me trouble when I asked for it, like Christmas. worth $300!” But Christmas came and the game would be right there. So she’s my hero.”
Of course, it was about much more than gifts for Gardner, and his NFL dream soon became a reality, and he was finally able to repay his mom for the favor by asking her to retire.
“It was wonderful,” Gardner said. “She’ll always be like, ‘No, I’ll go to work.’ It was just great to say, “No, you don’t need anymore.” It was just a blessing, because as a child I always told her: “You don’t have to work anymore.” When I wanted her to pay for the camps, she would ask, “Do you have to go to this camp?” … She always ended up paying for it so I could showcase my talent. It brought me here.”
Gardner will have the perfect opportunity to showcase his talent in the sport’s biggest testing round on Sunday when the 2022 defensive line class takes to the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. The 2021 First Team All-American is eager to complete his 40-yard dash — the event he has trained the most for — and felt confident enough to call his shot: 4.4 seconds.
“Once I do that, then we can talk,” Gardner said.
If he does the training most expected of a cornerback who hasn’t thrown a touchdown in his three-year college career, he won’t have much to say. Ahmad can take on the lead role if he wants to because Sauce has done a job that was made possible by his mother.
The day before the most important audition of his life, Gardner was happily walking down the personality line. When asked in what version he spoke to reporters, the future first-round pick did not shirk.
“A little of both,” Gardner said, flashing his grill and grinning.