It’s increasingly common for college football players to leave school after only three years and fall short of getting their college degree in pursuit of NFL glory. But one young NFL star is planning to get back to the books.
Taking to Twitter over the weekend, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner – fresh off becoming the first rookie cornerback in over 40 years to be named First-Team All-Pro – announced that he is returning to the University of Cincinnati this summer to finish his degree.
“Even though I had a 3.5 cumulative GPA after my 3rd year in college, I never got to get my degree because I wanted to leave early & purse (sic) my dream of playing in the NFL…… With that being said, I’m back enrolled in classes and on course to graduate in the summer,” Gardner wrote.
Gardner is coming off one of the best rookie seasons for a cornerback in recent memory. He led the NFL in passes defended with 20 this year, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in the process.
The Jets cornerback is getting all kinds of praise for making the mature choice of finishing his degree.
Even though I had a 3.5 cumulative GPA after my 3rd year in college, I never got to get my degree because I wanted to leave early & purse my dream of playing in the NFL…… With that being said, I’m back enrolled in classes and on course to graduate in the summer🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) January 15, 2023
“That’s big time,” Bobby Wagner replied.
“Well done! You will be very proud to get that done man! Adding to great season on the field!” wrote Andrew Whitworth.
“An All-Pro move,” Jets insider Rich Cimini declared.
Sauce Gardner has a bright future ahead of him. But he’s making sure that it stays bright off the field as well.