What’s in a name? Chauncey Gardner-Johnson’s name change, the Saints’ draft pick
Before what turned into a pivotal season for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, he decided to change his name.
The University of Florida safety went by Chauncey Gardner Junior until he posted a note to Twitter in December 2017 as he prepared for his junior season in Gainesville to change his name to the hyphenated Gardner-Johnson.
Why?
Well, it was to honor his stepfather, Brian Johnson, who was in his life from the age of 3 and with him from Pop Warner football all the way to UF.
Spurred on by the name change, Gardner-Johnson delivered as a junior in 2018, racking up 71 tackles, nine for a loss, three sacks, four interceptions and two pass breakups.
That season led Gardner-Johnson, who played at Cocoa High, to the 2019 NFL Draft, where the New Orleans Saints selected him in the fourth round with the 105th overall pick on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.
