FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The play was described to Perry Eliano over the phone, how former star pupil Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner sprinted alongside teammate D.J. Reed on a 100-yard interception return last weekend in a New York Jets practice. With about 3,000 spectators cheering, Gardner celebrated Reed's touchdown with -- brace yourself -- a back flip.
Punch up the Allen Iverson sound: We're talking about practice, not a game.
Eliano chuckled when he heard about Gardner's theatrics.
"He's very much a showman," said Eliano, the University of Cincinnati cornerbacks coach in 2020 and 2021.