CINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner (Detroit, Michigan/Martin Luther King) earned Second-Team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association.
 
The sophomore has been selected to five All-America teams, including first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of American and USA Today along with second-team accolades from the AFCA, Associated Press and the Athletic.

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Gardner is a key part of a UC defense which ranks in the NCAA’s Top-15 in five categories, including No. 2 in both interceptions (15) and team passing efficiency defense and rank tied for No. 7 in scoring defense (16.0) and No. 10 in total defense (314.4). The Bearcats have forced a turnover in 19-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA FBS, totaling AAC highs with 53 passes defended and 15 interceptions.

Gardner is tied for second in the AAC’s with nine passes defended and tied for fourth with three interceptions. In nine starts this season, he added 28 tackles and shared a sack. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Gardner has allowed the third-lowest passer rating in the FBS in coverage in 2020, making more plays on the ball than first downs allowed.

UC (9-0) won the American Athletic Conference Championship, their first outright league crown since 2009. Cincinnati was No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and will play in its first New Year’s Six game since the 2009 season when the Bearcats battle No. 9 Georgia at Mercedes Benz Stadium in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled at noon ET and the game will air on ESPN and 700 WLW AM. 

ONE TEAM ONE TEST
Your gift to the Next Level Success Fund will have a direct impact on the Bearcats football team as they prepare to take on Georgia in the 2020 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. As they have all season, members of the team and coaching staff will continue to be COVID tested leading up to the game. Your contribution will help us ensure that the team can safely practice and take the field on New Year’s Day.

To make a gift, or learn more, please visit https://impact.uc.edu/project/21337.

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