Sauce Gardner may have a knack for making opposing wide receivers disappear on the field, but he’s not exactly a fan of magic tricks, especially after a peculiar experience in Las Vegas.
The New York Jets cornerback recounted a bizarre encounter with a magician during a trip to Vegas, which left him swearing off the city for good.
“I was in Vegas, and long story short, somebody did a card trick, and I’m 1000000% sure that the cards were in my palms,” Gardner explained. “At the end, he said, ‘now it’s a block of glass; move your hand,’ and a block of glass was in my hands instead of the cards. I’m not going back to Vegas.”
The magician in question was later identified as Carl Michael, who performed at the NFL Players Association party in Vegas. Despite Gardner’s initial shock, the two even posed for a photo together, suggesting that Gardner may not be as genuinely perturbed by the illusion as he initially seemed.
Nonetheless, Gardner’s aversion to magic doesn’t seem to affect his performance on the field. After an impressive rookie season, where he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, Gardner continued to shine with an All-Pro campaign in the following year.
According to Pro Football Focus, Gardner boasted the third-highest player grade among cornerbacks, trailing only Jaylon Johnson and DaRon Bland this season.
Despite his success on the gridiron, Gardner still has plenty of life experiences ahead of him. From failing to recognize Jessica Alba at a New York Knicks game to trying New York pizza for the first time over a year after joining the Jets, it’s clear that Gardner is still adjusting to life in the Big Apple.
