Devin Gardner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devin Gardner

Gardner in 2018
No. 7, 12, 98
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1991-12-14) December 14, 1991 (age 33) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:	Inkster (Inkster, Michigan)
College:	Michigan (2010–2014)
Undrafted:	2015
Career history
New England Patriots (2015)* Pittsburgh Steelers (2015)* Sagamihara Rise (2016–2017) Saskatchewan Roughriders (2018)
Career highlights and awards
X-League Rookie of the Year (2016)
Player stats at CFL.ca

Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is a former American football player. He was a talented quarterback who played for the Michigan Wolverines in college. After college, he played professionally in Japan and briefly in the NFL.

At the University of Michigan, Devin Gardner was the main quarterback for the Wolverines from 2012 to 2014. In 2013, he received a special honor. He was given Tom Harmon's "Michigan Football Legends" jersey. This meant he was the first player in over 70 years to wear the number 98.

During the 2013 season, Gardner showed amazing skills. He had 1,779 passing yards and 660 rushing yards. He also scored 22 touchdowns. On October 19, 2013, he set a new Michigan record. He threw for 503 passing yards in one game. He also broke another record with 584 yards of total offense.

Before college, Gardner was a top high school player. Experts like Rivals.com called him the best "dual-threat" quarterback. This means he was great at both passing and running the ball. He joined the University of Michigan in 2010. In his first two seasons, he played a limited role. In 2012, he even played as a wide receiver. But he switched back to quarterback when another player got injured.

Early Life and High School Football

Learning and Growing Up

In 2007, Devin Gardner played football for the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. He missed some games that year due to problems. Gardner said this was a big moment for him. He realized he needed to improve and grow up. He later transferred to Inkster High School.

Star Player at Inkster High School

At Inkster High School in Inkster, Michigan, Gardner became the starting quarterback. His coach, Greg Carter, had led other teams to championships.

In 2008, as a junior, Gardner led Inkster to the state championship game. He was involved in 48 touchdowns that season. He threw for 26 touchdowns and ran for 22 more. He gained over 3,200 yards in total offense. He also helped his basketball team reach the state semifinals.

As a senior in 2009, Gardner again led Inkster to the state finals. One exciting game was against Steubenville High School. Steubenville had won 60 home games in a row. Inkster needed to win to make the playoffs. With little time left, Gardner threw a 63-yard touchdown pass. This amazing play won the game for Inkster. Gardner said they used a simple play. The other team expected a different pass, leaving his receiver open.

After that big win, Gardner led Inkster to four more playoff victories. They won games by scores like 51–19 and 50–28. Inkster reached the state finals for the second year in a row. They played against Lowell High School but lost the championship game 27–6.

Gardner once told ESPN about his love for being a quarterback. He said, "When I've got the ball in my hands, it's my show."

Top Rankings and All-Star Games

After his junior year, Gardner was invited to many special football camps. In 2009, he attended the Elite 11 quarterback camp. This camp invites only the top 12 quarterbacks in the country. Experts praised his leadership and athleticism. One analyst said he had "tremendous maturity." Another compared him to a great college quarterback, Terrelle Pryor.

In September 2009, Rivals.com ranked Gardner as the top quarterback prospect in the U.S. Scout.com and ESPNU also ranked him among the top five quarterbacks. Experts believed he had huge potential. They noted his improvements as a passer and runner. They also saw how he could lead his team to victory in tough games.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Devin Gardner QB	Inkster, Michigan	Inkster (MI)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	198 lb (90 kg)	4.57	Apr 3, 2009
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 43 (national), 5 (QB)   Rivals: 132 (national), 1 (Dual-threat quarterback), 2 (MI)  ESPN: 128 (national), 5 (QB)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

At the end of his senior year, Gardner played in the Under Armour All-America Game. He threw a touchdown pass that helped his team win. He called it "the greatest experience of my life." A former NFL coach, Sam Wyche, praised Gardner. He said Devin would be a "big-time player at Michigan."

College Career at Michigan

Joining the Wolverines

In spring 2009, Devin Gardner decided to play for the University of Michigan. He felt very comfortable there, like it was a family. Michigan made him feel like he was their top choice. He had offers from over 15 other colleges. These included Notre Dame, Oregon, and Florida.

His high school coach, Greg Carter, believed Gardner would do well at Michigan. He noted that Inkster's offense was similar to Michigan's. This meant Gardner was already used to the style of play.

Early Seasons (2010-2011)

Gardner started at Michigan in January 2010. Some experts thought he might even start as a freshman. However, he played in only two games in his first year. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 21 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.

In 2011, his second season, Gardner was still a backup quarterback. He played in eight games. He completed 11 of 23 passes for one touchdown. He also rushed for 53 yards and one touchdown. He often played when the starting quarterback, Denard Robinson, was also on the field in a different position.

Becoming the Starter (2012)

Gardner with the ball in 2013

In 2012, his third year, Gardner first changed to playing wide receiver. He was actually the team's top receiver for the first four games. He caught 11 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns.

But then, the starting quarterback, Denard Robinson, got injured. So, Gardner switched back to quarterback. He made his first start as Michigan's quarterback on November 3, 2012. He led Michigan to a 35–13 victory. He ran for a touchdown and threw for 234 yards and two more touchdowns.

In his next start, Gardner led Michigan to an exciting comeback win. They beat Northwestern 38-31 in overtime. He ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns. With only two seconds left, he threw a long pass to set up a game-tying field goal. Gardner then scored the winning touchdown in overtime.

In the last home game of 2012, Gardner had an amazing performance. He was responsible for six touchdowns in a 42-17 win over Iowa. He threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 37 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. He became only the second Michigan quarterback to account for six touchdowns in a single game.

Record-Breaking Season (2013)

Gardner was named the starting quarterback for the 2013 season. In the first seven games, he had 1,779 passing yards and 660 rushing yards. He scored 22 touchdowns in total.

Before the big game against Notre Dame, Gardner received the special No. 98 "Michigan Football Legends" jersey. He led Michigan to a 41–30 victory in that game. He threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns.

On October 19, 2013, against Indiana, Gardner set two new Michigan records. He broke the single-game passing record with 503 yards. He also broke the single-game total offense record with 584 yards.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

NFL Teams

After the 2015 NFL Draft, Devin Gardner signed a contract with the New England Patriots. However, he was released by the Patriots in May 2015.

The Pittsburgh Steelers then picked him up. The Steelers tried him out as a quarterback. But he was released by the team in August 2015.

Playing in Japan

Gardner then played for the Nojima Sagamihara Rise in Japan's X-League. He played there for two seasons. In 2016, he passed for 1,746 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 397 yards and eight touchdowns. For his great performance, he won the 2016 X-League Rookie of the Year award.

Canadian Football League

In 2018, Gardner signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was released by the team in August 2018.

Media Career

In September 2019, Devin Gardner joined Bally Sports Detroit. He helps cover high school football games for them. He also works as a commentator for college football games on Fox Sports 1.

Personal Life

Devin Gardner was featured in the "Faces in the Crowd" section of Sports Illustrated magazine in 2009. He earned a degree from the University of Michigan in Afro-American and African studies. He is also studying in the university's Master of Social Work Program.

Images for kids

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  Denard Robinson passing to Gardner.