Jets CB Sauce Gardner on why he wanted to finish his degree

Many professional athletes promise to finish their college degrees after leaving school early.

Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is one of the few who decided to follow through on his assurance to his mother.

Following a spectacular season in which he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was named to both the first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, Gardner returned to the University of Cincinnati to walk during Friday’s commencement ceremony to collect his diploma a day after his Jets played in the Hall of Fame Game against the Browns in Canton, Ohio.

“The kids,” Gardner said, why he returned to college to finish his degree. “Knowing they look up to me and I inspire and motivate them. That was a non-negotiable right there. I had to meet my mom halfway when it came to leaving early as she really wasn’t a fan of it because it really wasn’t all about the money, she wanted me to get my degree.

“I felt like that was the last box I haven’t checked and now I can say that I really made it.”

Gardner was 12 credits shy of receiving his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, which is one semester of classes to receive his degree from Cincinnati. So once the Jets season was over in early January, Gardner took courses during the spring semester to earn his degree.

During his time in the major, Gardner had to write various types of papers. He also received credit hours by working in the Sauce Gardner Family Foundation, created in Gardner’s hometown of Detroit, to help under-served teens in the community.

His academic advisor at Cincinnati told Gardner that the road to achieving his degree in interdisciplinary studies would be challenging. But once he learned he could receive credits by working in his foundation, Gardner decided to do it.

“We are just trying to help under-resourced communities,” Gardner said about his foundation.

“We are just trying to do whatever to help our new generation, that’s why I wanted to have a camp to look everybody in their face to let them know, they’re going to be the new generation and they can do anything they can put their mind to.

“When it comes to community and Detroit, Detroit has a lot of rough places and I can just go back and help. It’s not going to be just a Detroit thing, but that’s where I wanted to start, that’s my hometown, but I live here now, so I want to be as much of an impact as I can be wherever I’m at.”

Instead of sitting in a suite away from the rest of his graduating class, Gardner decided to sit with his graduating peers so his family and his friends could look down and see him. Many of the other graduates took selfies with Gardner and posted them on social media.

Gardner’s achievement was so significant amongst Jets players that he has even inspired first-team all-pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to finish his college degree from the University of Alabama. He’s only nine credits shy.

“That’s just phenomenal,” Williams said. “Just seeing the guys get their degree, my family is a bunch of educators and seeing Sauce out there, playful, goofy, the exciting player that he is, to see him go get his degree, is phenomenal.

“It definitely motivated me to say I need to stop playing and go get my degree this offseason for sure because I’m just right there to get it. So I just need to go ahead and finish it.”

[ Jets QB Zach Wilson credits Aaron Rodgers for his 57-yard bomb in Hall of Fame game vs. Browns: ‘Great call’ ]

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There was a near scare during Saturday’s practice.

As defensive end Jermaine Johnson was rushing Aaron Rodgers on a pass attempt during 11-on-11 drills, Rodgers had his foot stepped on. He limped a bit on the side as Zach Wilson relieved Rodgers for a few plays.

Rodgers did return to practice and threw touchdown passes to tight end Jeremy Ruckert and wide receiver Allen Lazard during red zone work inside the 20-yard line.

Following practice, Jets coach Robert Saleh didn’t sound too concerned about players getting too close to Rodgers during practices.

“That’s every single season, stay off the quarterback,” Saleh said. “That’s why they wear red, but every once in a while, it happens.”

[ Bob Raissman: Admit it or not, HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ will be good for Robert Saleh’s Jets ]

Wide receiver Garrett Wilson who turned his ankle last week, didn’t practice but was seen doing individual work on the side. According to Saleh, the plan is for Wilson to return for the joint practices against the Panthers beginning on Wednesday.

Left tackle Duane Brown, who has yet to practice with the rest of the team, is about two weeks away, according to Saleh. That would put him on course to begin practice right as the Jets conclude training camp, as their preseason finale will be against the Giants on Aug. 26.