Sometimes in sports, a perfect Hollywood script comes across our desk.
It doesn’t happen every day, but when it does it is a special moment. We got to enjoy a slice of that this week when a New York Jets legend took a promising youngster under his wing.
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A Destined Meeting
11-year NFL veteran and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis joined the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, June 7.
During that appearance, Revis confirmed that he has not only spoken with Ahmad Gardner but he has now taken the promising defender under his wing:
“Yeah, we spoke. I spoke to Sauce once he got settled about a week after he got drafted fourth overall. We have each other’s numbers and we are just going to continue to communicate as best we can. There is a lot of other DBs (defensive backs) from the Jets secondary who reached out as well.”
🚨 ex-#Jets CB Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) confirmed that he has spoken w/ Ahmad Gardner (@iamSauceGardner) & they exchanged numbers, ‘we will continue to communicate.’ He also said several other DBs on NYJ have reached out: 🎥 @PatMcAfeeShow #PMSLive #TakeFlight @nyjets 🚨
Gardner was the No. 4 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Cincinnati. He became the highest-drafted defender in the Joe Douglas era and only the fourth first-round corner for the Jets in the last 20 years.
Back on May 6, Gardner revealed that he hadn’t gotten the chance to meet Revis yet but that it was on his “bucket list” to do so. Sauce also said that he hopes he can be remembered in a similar light to Revis when he hangs up his cleats.
#Jets CB Ahmad Gardner (@iamSauceGardner) says he loves Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) but hasn’t been able to meet him yet ‘that’s on my bucket list’ + everybody looks at him so highly & Sauce said that’s how he wants to be remembered when he retires: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight 😭😭
Revis will go down as one of, if not the best cover corners of all time:
- Four first-team All-Pro nominations
- Seven-time Pro Bowler
- Super Bowl champion
The Best Nickname of All-Time
Revis Island is a fitting nickname that suited the former All-Pro well throughout his NFL career.
However, during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Revis suggested another nickname that could fit the bill:
“You know I was kind of the, I don’t know if you want to say Darth Vader of fantasy football. A lot of fantasy football players would actually sit their receivers down during that week if they had to play against the Jets defense. You know in the offseason you’ll go places and you would hear it like I had to sit my receiver down when we played you guys or whatever.”
Ex-#Jets CB Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) dubbed himself the ‘Darth Vader of fantasy football’ 🤣, owners would ‘actually sit their receivers down during that week’ when they played NYJ: 🎥 @PatMcAfeeShow #PMSLive @MatthewBerryTMR @FieldYates @MikeClayNFL @Stephania_ESPN #TakeFlight
I normally have a very strict code against people giving themselves their own nickname, however, the greatest player in Jets history can get a pass here.
Revis is telling the truth because in today’s day and age of fantasy football the wide receiver versus cornerback matchup is a key factor in those weekly roster lineup decisions.
There are all kinds of different accolades you can point to that can tell you how good Revis was, but the ultimate answer will always be that graphic that circulates on the internet from his prime days in the NFL.
There is no guarantee that Sauce will have anywhere near the same level of success that Revis did during his NFL playing career.
However, it can only help the talented youngster to be connected to Revis and absorb invaluable information as he makes his own journey into the pros.
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Jets Legend Takes First Round Draft Pick Under His Wing