Only Rich Gardner Until Penn State Football

Penn State cornerback Rich Gardner, a high school football, basketball, and track and field athlete, joined the Nittany Lions as a walk on in the 1999 class. Gardner had flexibility and speed, which helped him become a starter for every game in his final two seasons at Penn State.

At Penn State, Gardner totaled 141 tackles, two touchdowns, three interceptions for 109 yards, two fumble recoveries, and 15 pass deflections his last two years. Gardner was named a third-team All American his senior year and honorable mention All-Big Ten his senior and junior years.

Even more memorable was his pick six in the oh-so-satisfying 40-7 rout of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2002:

After a solid performance at the NFL Combine with a 4.46 40-yard dash, Gardner was picked up by the Tennessee Titans as a third round draft pick in 2014. For the Titans, Gardner made24 tackles and an interception after two years there as a cornerback and on special teams. Gardner later signed with the Seahawks in 2006 until he was waived in 2007, then went on to be a coach and player for the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes of the German Football League.

Currently, Gardner serves as a youth and high school football coach and CEO of a youth sports training company in the Chicago area.