The New York Jets are getting more attention and hype than any team in the NFL right now, with the start of the 2023 campaign right around the corner as training camps are well underway for all 32 teams in the league.
Although all the hype in New York has centered around the arrival of superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was acquired by the team in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers, there are a few other players in the Big Apple to get excited about.
Last season, Sauce Gardner burst on the scene in New York, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft living up to expectations and quite possibly exceeding them as he earned All-Pro honors and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Not only has Gardner been a busy man on the field by paving his way to becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the game, but he’s also been hitting the books, as he recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati via WLWT and Yahoo Sports.
Jets CB Sauce Gardner and former NBA All-Star Nick Van Exel graduated from the University of Cincinnati yesterday 👏🎓
(via @WLWT)pic.twitter.com/G6Gacye45i
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 5, 2023
This is an impressive feat, to say the least, for Gardner, as most players of his caliber don’t bother going back to school until after their NFL careers are over, if they bother going back at all.
It seems as though Gardner was determined to graduate and ironically shared the stage with former NBA star Nick Van Exel, who also went back to school to get his degree.
The next goal to cross off the list for Gardner is winning a Super Bowl, and he may get his shot if the Jets turn out to be as advertised.
NEXT: Analyst Discusses What A Super Bowl Would Do For Aaron Rodgers' Legacy