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Sauce Gardner shows off his NFL rookie of the year trophy after finally receiving it

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•07/08/23•

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sauce gardner
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Sauce Gardner was awash in all his first-year memories again this week. The Jets cornerback finally received his defensive Rookie of the Year trophy. And he took it out by the pool as a prop for several selfies.

And now we know what the trophy looks like because the charismatic cornerback shared it with his thousands of fans.

“My baby finally here… Better late than never,” he tweeted, along with four photos of said baby.

Sauce Gardner first got his hands on the trophy in February. That was during NFL Honors, the league awards show before the Super Bowl. But he didn’t get to take home the trophy from Phoenix. We’re betting Gardner picked out a spot for the trophy weeks ago.

Sauce Gardner was far more formal when he picked up his trophy at NFL Honors in Phoenix in February.  Cooper Neill/Getty Images

And in his rookie season, Sauce Gardner looked like a seasoned pro. He probably got a lot more action his way as quarterbacks decided to pick on the rookie. Still, Gardner led the NFL in passes defended. He notched 20, with two interceptions. The stats were good enough to make him a first-team All-Pro. And Gardner also was the first cornerback to earn defensive rookie of the year since future Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott did so in 1981.

“I set three goals,” Sauce Gardner said back in January. “Pro Bowl, Defensive Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-Pro. You know, if I can get all three of those …God is good.”

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Well, the football gods were very good to him. Gardner beat out fellow nominees The other nominees were Aidan Hutchinson, the defensive end from the Lions, and Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen.

On Saturday, Gardner was in Detroit, hosting a football camp at The Corner Ballpark. He starred at Detroit King, then did the same with the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Jets selected him with the fourth pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Obviously, he proved his worth.

Meanwhile, NFL.com selected Sauce Garnder and fellow Jet Breece Hall as the best 25 and unders at their respective positions. It’s safe to say, big things are expected from them both.

The Jets are starting training camp earlier than any NFL team. Rookies and veterans report July 19. The team plays the Browns in the Hall of Fame game, Aug. 3, which kicks off the preseason slate.