WATCH: Sauce Gardner receives his degree during graduation ceremony at University of Cincinnati
What a year Sauce Gardner is having! Since 2022, his career seems to be on a perpetual upward trajectory. He was selected out of the University of Cincinnati as the No, 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Furthermore, he did not let down his top billing as he finished last season as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished with 75 tackles and two interceptions and his 20 pass deflections led the league, finishing ahead of all veterans.
His performances saw him nominated to the First Team All-Pro and he also took part in the Pro Bowl. Prior to this season, he has been ranked at the 23rd spot on the NFL's Top 100 players list.
And now, he has gone and graduated from university as well. In a touching moment, he was there in his full graduation regalia as he graduated. It was also a reminder of how young he is and how much more he can achieve in his life, given he has accomplished all of this at just 22 years of age.
You can watch the video below:
Congrats: #Jets star CB @iamSauceGardner has officially graduated University of Cincinnati👏
4th overall pick in the Draft, All-Pro Rookie Season, Pro-Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year, 23rd spot on the NFL players Top 100 list. What a year!
Only 22-years old, Sauce has… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/2KtqeqCAzE
Sauce Gardner could go on to achieve something even more special this year with the New York Jets
As great as his past 12 months have been, Sauce Gardner could go on to achieve even more this year. For any player in the NFL, the Holy Grail is undoubtedly the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for him, he was in a team last year that just could not get going on offense. The New York Jets missed out on the playoffs despite the accomplishments on defense.
Led by Sauce Gardner, the Jets' defense finished fourth-best in the league in both yards allowed (311.1 yards/game) and points allowed (18.6 points/game). This year, though, hopes are even higher.
If the cornerback keeps playing at the level that he has, they can expect to receive much better support on the offense this season.
The Jets have since added Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback and brought in coaching and personnel changes to give him the best chance to capture a Super Bowl.
The franchise is thought to be all-in on winning the Lombardi Trophy this season and has built a roster that exudes confidence despite being in a tough division.
If they can go ahead and achieve that, it will mean that Sauce Gardner would have exceeded his past year's achievements, as unbelievable as that may seem.