Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner says he’s 24, born Aug. 31, 2001, and points to conflicting online listings showing Aug. 31, 2000. With multiple databases, a video game, and Wikipedia pulling different years, Gardner says paperwork he’s signed—plus
INDIANAPOLIS — Sauce Gardner is used to playing lockdown defense. But on the last day of Colts minicamp, defending his age wasn’t the matchup he pictured five years into his NFL career.
“I’m 24!” Gardner said, laughing as he shook his head. “It’s crazy that I’m even being asked this.”
When the confusion was put back in front of him, Gardner didn’t hedge.
“Is he sure?” the question was answered by a fast, emphatic: “Yes!” He added, “You can ask my mom!”
Gardner says his birthdate is Aug. 31, 2001, and that he has been told—by the documents he’s used from early on—that this is the year he’s consistently listed. He points to a driver’s license and a passport as confirmation, and the Colts say those documents back up the 2001 date.
So why, as he enters his fifth NFL season, does a large part of the internet believe he was born in 2000?
In the most visible version of the mix-up, ESPN.com lists Gardner’s birthday as Aug. 31, 2000—one year earlier than the date tied to his passport. Pro Football Reference also lists him as born in 2000. So does The Athletic’s 2022 NFL Draft guide. Even EA Sports’ Madden NFL—an offseason game Gardner says he often plays—has his birthday as Aug. 31, 2000.
“It’s wrong in Madden, too? That’s crazy because I never checked,” Gardner said after he was notified. “Because when it comes to the paperwork and everything I’ve signed, it all says ’01. So, I don’t know where or how it got messed up unless people just get it straight from Google.”
Gardner’s frustration wasn’t aimed at the question itself so much as the fact that the wrong answer kept spreading.
Wikipedia’s entry became one of the engines of that spread. Until The Athletic raised public questions about Gardner’s age by sharing a video of one of his offseason training sessions. Gardner’s Wikipedia page listed him as 25 rather than 24. For most people doing a quick Google search. that meant the first response they got often matched the internet’s newer version of the story: born in 2000.
Gardner’s Wikipedia page has since been corrected—at least in part. In the “personal information” section, Gardner is listed as being born in 2001. But in the “early life” section of the same Wikipedia biography, his birthdate still appears as Aug. 31, 2000. One page, two years. Confusion, kept alive.
To try to trace where the discrepancy began. teams and databases were contacted by way of the people who verify such details in public-facing materials. A draft guide writer typically verifies birthdates by checking the school the prospect attended through their roster. player page. or media guide. If it isn’t listed—as seems to be the case with Cincinnati—the writer asks the player. the player’s agent. or an NFL team what they have on file.
A representative from Sports Reference. which operates Pro Football Reference. said the site reviews a school’s media guide before seeking consensus among reputable sources. including ESPN and Fox Sports. The representative also pointed to another place where the year is listed as 2000: the NFL’s 2025 Record and Fact Book.
Even with those responses, the key question remained unanswered: despite the trail of documentation and websites citing 2000, no one could clearly pinpoint exactly where the mix-up started.
For years, the only place that listed Gardner’s year of birth as 2001 was NFL.com, according to the reporting around the issue.
The NFL’s process, however, isn’t built for this kind of drift. NFL chief spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic via email that clubs notify players of any incorrect birthdates that would have appeared on their college sites when a player signs. He also said players self-verify their birthdates and other personal information through a player portal.
Gardner’s view is that the confusion simply shouldn’t have survived that system. He said it’s never been a mystery to the teams he’s played for.
He acknowledged that his birthdate is not listed in his Cincinnati bio, and the school did not respond to The Athletic’s inquiries, but he still confirmed that his alma mater knew his correct age all along.
The problem isn’t unique to football. In the NBA, 3-point specialist Buddy Hield publicly celebrated his 26th birthday during his third season with the Sacramento Kings, even though his age was widely believed to be off by one year—Kings officials and the NBA’s own sites had him listed as 25.
“That’s their fault, not my fault,” Hield later told NBC Sports. “The first time I saw it on Wikipedia, my mom said, ‘Why do they have your age wrong?’ I said, ‘I have no idea.’”
Gardner said he can see the humor in how something this small becomes a loop online. Still, he pointed out that cornerbacks’ ages can be a touchy subject since their position doesn’t always age as gracefully as others.
“You can’t believe everything you see on the internet,” Gardner said, repeating the age-old warning with a laugh. “You just can’t.”
There’s another reason he can’t ignore the scrutiny. The Colts acquired Gardner after giving up two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell. With that kind of price attached to a player. expectations for the 2026 campaign are high—and. as Gardner understands it. that microscope doesn’t loosen.
He welcomes the pressure and says he’s taking on a larger leadership role. He has never been a team captain in the NFL. But as he’s moved from being a younger player who asked a lot of questions to a “still young” but established veteran who ends up fielding inquiries like this one. earning a C on his chest has become a priority.
“All-Pro, Pro Bowl, all of that good stuff,” Gardner said as he rattled off the rest of his individual goals. “Team goals? Just getting to the playoffs because that’s one thing I haven’t done. And getting a ‘chip.”
For Gardner, the age question will likely keep popping up as long as the wrong dates remain searchable. For now, he’s clear on the answer he’s always believed: Aug. 31, 2001—and 24 years old.
Sauce Gardner Colts minicamp age controversy Aug. 31 2001 2000 Pro Football Reference ESPN Wikipedia Madden NFL Buddy Hield Brian McCarthy
Wait so he’s 24 or 25? lol the internet is messy.
I don’t get why it even matters, he’s still gonna cover dudes. But if his paperwork says 2001 then everyone else needs to chill.
If Wikipedia has it different then that’s automatically suspicious though. Like maybe one of those sites is right but everybody just links the wrong one. Also “ask my mom” is funny but kinda sounds like PR.
My cousin’s boyfriend said players do this all the time to look younger for contracts, so I’m not buying it fully. But also he’s been in the league long enough that the age difference shouldn’t change anything. Still, why do video games and databases disagree? Feels like someone typed one number wrong and now it’s a whole thing.