Devin Gardner
Encyclopedia
Devin Gardner is an American football
quarterback
for the Michigan Wolverines football
team. During the fall of 2009, he was rated as the No. 1 high school quarterback in the United States by Rivals.com and the No. 5 quarterback by ESPNU. He verbally committed to Michigan's 2010 recruiting class in the spring of 2009 and enrolled at the University of Michigan
in January 2010.
. He missed five games during his sophomore year because of disciplinary issues, but returned for the final four games of the season. Gardner described the problems he experienced in his sophomore year as a turning point: "I had never sat out before, and that hurt a lot. It was a bad feeling, and I did a lot of growing up. I just knew I had to get better."
. He was Inkster's starting quarterback under head Coach Greg Carter, who led Detroit's Saint Martin de Porres High School
to three state championships.
As a junior in 2008, Gardner led Inkster to a state title game and was responsible for 48 touchdowns, 26 passing and 22 rushing. He also compiled 3,287 yards of total offense
with 1,886 passing yards and 1,401 rushing yards. He also helped lead Inkster's basketball team to the state semifinals in March 2009.
As a senior in 2009, Gardner again led Inkster to the state finals game. In the second game of the season, Gardner compiled 340 yards passing and 101 yards rushing against East Kentwood High School
. The highlight of Gardner's senior season came in Inkster’s final regular season game against Steubenville High School
in Steubenville, Ohio
. Inkster needed a win to advance to the playoffs, and Steubenville had a 60-game home winning streak. Steubenville led 29-28 with 1:19 left in the game. With 39 seconds left, Gardner threw a 63-yard touchdown pass for the win. Gardner described the game-winning drive against Steubenville as follows:
Gardner accounted for 330 yards (275 yards passing, 55 rushing) and five touchdowns (four passing) in the win over Steubenville.
After the win over Steubenville, Gardner led Inkster to four straight wins in the playoffs, including a 51-19 win over Edsel Ford High School
(Dearborn, Michigan
), a 50-28 win over Thurston High School
(Redford, Michigan), and a 35-7 win over Southgate Anderson High School
. Gardner led Inkster to its second straight state finals game. Inkster averaged 31 points per game in the 12 games before the final, but lost 27-6 against Lowell High School
in the Division 2 title game. Gardner compiled only 134 passing yards in the title game and minus-26 rushing yards after being sacked three times.
In an interview with ESPN in the fall of 2009, Gardner described his passion for the quarterback position: "With me, you better prepare for everything you think could happen because anything can happen when I've got the ball in my hands. I've got the ball in my hands every play, and it's my show."
. In July 2009, Gardner participated in the Elite 11 quarterback camp at Soka University in Aliso Viejo, California
, as one of the 12 invited quarterbacks. Gardner earned counselor awards for best footwork and work in the classroom at the Elite 11 camp. After watching Gardner perform at the Elite 11, JC Shurburtt wrote for ESPN.com that, "Gardner has also surprised many. His hustle, leadership and athleticism add up to a tremendous maturity that will help him compete early for playing time in Ann Arbor." Barry Every, national analyst for Rivals.com, ranked Gardner as the top overall quarterback at the Elite 11 camp based on long-term potential and the ability to win football games, and added, "He may not be as big or fast as current Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, but he is a close second."
In September 2009, Gardner was ranked at the top quarterback prospect in the United States by Rivals.com. He was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback nationally by Scout.com and the No. 5 quarterback in the ESPNU 150. In November 2009, Allen Trieu of Scout.com said of Gardner:
Many recruiting experts have compared Gardner to Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor
. The two have similarities, like size and running style.
had a solid season in the fall of 2009, but Gardner remained committed to Michigan. He reported that his second choice was Florida and his third was LSU.
The Detroit Free Press wrote in September 2009 that Gardner’s “dual-threat abilities make him an ideal candidate to run Rich Rodriguez’s version of the spread offense. Inkster coach Greg Carter expected Gardner to thrive at Michigan: “We definitely have a similar offense. A lot of the things they do may be what made them think he could do well there. We run the spread, have four receivers at times, sometimes three receivers and two backs. So we play similar. … There was nothing we put in that he couldn’t handle.”
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
. The game is an all-star contest for high school seniors. Gardner threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to help the White team win the contest. On the touchdown pass, Gardner rolled right and found Darius White
(a Texas Longhorns
commitment) on a third-and-goal play in the fourth quarter. Gardner shared quarterback duties for the White team with Nick Montana (son of Joe Montana
) and Phillip Sims (an Alabama
commitment). After his appearance in the All-America Game, Gardner said, "It was the greatest experience of my life. Even greater than the Steubenville win that (Inkster) had (during the regular season) -- which was a monumental for the city of Inkster and the state of Michigan, even. This is just another monumental event."
Former NFL head coach Sam Wyche
coached the opposing Black team and praised Gardner after the game. Wyche said, "Devin is going to be a big-time player at Michigan. He and Phillip Sims are guys to me that are going to come quickly to the scene. Devin has a great smile. He is going to sell a lot of product for somebody. He's got a great personality. He's smart -- you can change directions with him and it doesn't bother him at all. He is ready to go."
, and Jeremy Jackson.
In December 2009, Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director of ESPN Scouts Inc., said he believed Gardner would compete for Michigan's starting quarterback job in 2010. Luginbill said, "There's no doubt he's got the physical tools to do so." When the Detroit Free Press asked Gardner in December 2009 whether he saw himself starting as a freshman, Gardner said, “Of course I see myself doing that.” Asked about Michigan’s 2009 starting quarterback, Tate Forcier
, Gardner said, “A great player, a tough player and a funny guy. I think he’s going to be great competition for next year.” In January 2010, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez
noted, "In order for Devin to play -- and I don't even want to discount him because Devin's a very competitive guy -- but you're going to assume that Tate and Denard don't take a step forward." In February 2010, Rodriguez added, "We want guys who want competition, and we're going to foster that. Devin will give some competition to those other guys."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team. During the fall of 2009, he was rated as the No. 1 high school quarterback in the United States by Rivals.com and the No. 5 quarterback by ESPNU. He verbally committed to Michigan's 2010 recruiting class in the spring of 2009 and enrolled at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in January 2010.
Detroit Jesuit High School
As a sophomore in 2007, Gardner played football for the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and AcademyUniversity of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, founded in 1877, is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan...
. He missed five games during his sophomore year because of disciplinary issues, but returned for the final four games of the season. Gardner described the problems he experienced in his sophomore year as a turning point: "I had never sat out before, and that hurt a lot. It was a bad feeling, and I did a lot of growing up. I just knew I had to get better."
Inkster High School
After his sophomore year, Gardner transferred to Inkster High School in Inkster, MichiganInkster, Michigan
Inkster is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. It is one of several suburbs in Metro Detroit whose population is majority or plurality African American.- History :...
. He was Inkster's starting quarterback under head Coach Greg Carter, who led Detroit's Saint Martin de Porres High School
Saint Martin de Porres High School
Detroit St. Martin de Porres High School was a coeducational Roman Catholic College Preparatory school in Detroit, Michigan.-Demographics:...
to three state championships.
As a junior in 2008, Gardner led Inkster to a state title game and was responsible for 48 touchdowns, 26 passing and 22 rushing. He also compiled 3,287 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
with 1,886 passing yards and 1,401 rushing yards. He also helped lead Inkster's basketball team to the state semifinals in March 2009.
As a senior in 2009, Gardner again led Inkster to the state finals game. In the second game of the season, Gardner compiled 340 yards passing and 101 yards rushing against East Kentwood High School
East Kentwood High School
East Kentwood High School is a public high school located just outside the city of Kentwood, Michigan, United States. It is part of the Kentwood Public Schools district, working together with the Crossroads High School, an alternative learning center...
. The highlight of Gardner's senior season came in Inkster’s final regular season game against Steubenville High School
Steubenville High School
Steubenville High School is a public high school in Steubenville, Ohio. It is the only public high school in the Steubenville City Schools District. The school is commonly known by the name of its mascot, Big Red. Popular lore says the mascot got its name from the famous race horse, Man 'O War...
in Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Inkster needed a win to advance to the playoffs, and Steubenville had a 60-game home winning streak. Steubenville led 29-28 with 1:19 left in the game. With 39 seconds left, Gardner threw a 63-yard touchdown pass for the win. Gardner described the game-winning drive against Steubenville as follows:
"First I threw an out and we got out of bounds. (Receiver) Jonathan Taylor got hurt and so he had to come out. Another receiver came in and we did just a regular ol' route. We didn't do nothing special, but they all jumped the out route and left the fly on the outside wide open. I just threw it to (Vorheese Zanders) in between the safety and corner and he made a big play. He made one guy miss, another guy fell down, and he scored."
Gardner accounted for 330 yards (275 yards passing, 55 rushing) and five touchdowns (four passing) in the win over Steubenville.
After the win over Steubenville, Gardner led Inkster to four straight wins in the playoffs, including a 51-19 win over Edsel Ford High School
Edsel Ford High School
Edsel Ford High School is a secondary school located in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Edsel Ford, located on Rotunda, near Oakwood, is one of three high schools in the Dearborn Public Schools. Edsel Ford High School was completed in 1955, and the first graduating class was in 1956...
(Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
), a 50-28 win over Thurston High School
Lee M. Thurston High School
Thurston High School is a public high school inRedford, Michigan, United States: a suburb of Detroit. The school is a part of the South Redford School District....
(Redford, Michigan), and a 35-7 win over Southgate Anderson High School
Southgate Anderson High School
Southgate Thomas J. Anderson High School is a high school in Southgate, Michigan, United States.-History:Originally one of two high schools in Southgate, along with the since closed Schafer High School....
. Gardner led Inkster to its second straight state finals game. Inkster averaged 31 points per game in the 12 games before the final, but lost 27-6 against Lowell High School
Lowell High School (Michigan)
Lowell High School is a coeducation public school located in Lowell, Michigan. The current principal for Lowell High School is Patricia Murphy-Alderman....
in the Division 2 title game. Gardner compiled only 134 passing yards in the title game and minus-26 rushing yards after being sacked three times.
In an interview with ESPN in the fall of 2009, Gardner described his passion for the quarterback position: "With me, you better prepare for everything you think could happen because anything can happen when I've got the ball in my hands. I've got the ball in my hands every play, and it's my show."
Combines and rankings
After compiling impressive statistics as a junior, Gardner was invited to a number of combines and camps in the Summer of 2009. In June 2009, Gardner participated in the Nike camp in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. In July 2009, Gardner participated in the Elite 11 quarterback camp at Soka University in Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
, as one of the 12 invited quarterbacks. Gardner earned counselor awards for best footwork and work in the classroom at the Elite 11 camp. After watching Gardner perform at the Elite 11, JC Shurburtt wrote for ESPN.com that, "Gardner has also surprised many. His hustle, leadership and athleticism add up to a tremendous maturity that will help him compete early for playing time in Ann Arbor." Barry Every, national analyst for Rivals.com, ranked Gardner as the top overall quarterback at the Elite 11 camp based on long-term potential and the ability to win football games, and added, "He may not be as big or fast as current Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, but he is a close second."
In September 2009, Gardner was ranked at the top quarterback prospect in the United States by Rivals.com. He was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback nationally by Scout.com and the No. 5 quarterback in the ESPNU 150. In November 2009, Allen Trieu of Scout.com said of Gardner:
"He is considered one of the top handful of quarterbacks in the country and is firmly entrenched as a five-star prospect. As far as upside goes, I don't see many quarterbacks that have his potential. He has improved as a passer, but I think what is overlooked is that he has gotten faster and has broken longer runs. We've also seen several times where he has put this team on his shoulders and pulled out victories in tough situations."
Many recruiting experts have compared Gardner to Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008−2010...
. The two have similarities, like size and running style.
Commitment to Michigan
On September 1, 2008, before playing his first game for Inkster, Gardner received a scholarship offer from the University of Michigan. In the spring of 2009, Gardner gave an early verbal commitment to Michigan. His high school football coach, Greg Carter, noted, "He told us that he was going to commit to Michigan. He's versatile and he fits that offense perfectly. He can throw the ball and he also can run the football. So I think it's a good choice for him." Gardner explained his choice as follows: “I feel great, like there was no other place that I would be able to be as comfortable as I am now at a different school. It was just the only decision that I could think of. When I go up there it’s like a family atmosphere. Sometimes at other schools it seems sort of fake if you will but at this school I felt like they were real. The big thing was that I was their first choice. They wanted other guys but expressed to me I was their top guy and that’s the biggest factor.” Despite the early verbal commitment, other schools continued to pursue Gardner – particularly as his ratings increased in the Summer of 2009. Gardner received offers from more than 15 colleges, including Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oregon, West Virginia, Cincinnati , Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida and LSU. Questions about his commitment were raised after Michigan’s freshman quarterback Tate ForcierTate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
had a solid season in the fall of 2009, but Gardner remained committed to Michigan. He reported that his second choice was Florida and his third was LSU.
The Detroit Free Press wrote in September 2009 that Gardner’s “dual-threat abilities make him an ideal candidate to run Rich Rodriguez’s version of the spread offense. Inkster coach Greg Carter expected Gardner to thrive at Michigan: “We definitely have a similar offense. A lot of the things they do may be what made them think he could do well there. We run the spread, have four receivers at times, sometimes three receivers and two backs. So we play similar. … There was nothing we put in that he couldn’t handle.”
Under Armour All-America Game
At end of his senior year in high school, Gardner played in the Under Armour All-America GameUnder Armour All-America Game
The Under Armour High School All-America Game is a high school football all-star game typically held in early January in the U.S. state of Florida created to spotlight the nation’s top high school seniors. The game was first played on January 5, 2008 and is annually been played at the Citrus Bowl...
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
. The game is an all-star contest for high school seniors. Gardner threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to help the White team win the contest. On the touchdown pass, Gardner rolled right and found Darius White
Darius White
Darius White is an American football wide receiver. He currently attends the University of Texas at Austin in his sophomore year. White was a 2009 High School All-American by USA Today, Parade and EA Sports....
(a Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
commitment) on a third-and-goal play in the fourth quarter. Gardner shared quarterback duties for the White team with Nick Montana (son of Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
) and Phillip Sims (an Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
commitment). After his appearance in the All-America Game, Gardner said, "It was the greatest experience of my life. Even greater than the Steubenville win that (Inkster) had (during the regular season) -- which was a monumental for the city of Inkster and the state of Michigan, even. This is just another monumental event."
Former NFL head coach Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
coached the opposing Black team and praised Gardner after the game. Wyche said, "Devin is going to be a big-time player at Michigan. He and Phillip Sims are guys to me that are going to come quickly to the scene. Devin has a great smile. He is going to sell a lot of product for somebody. He's got a great personality. He's smart -- you can change directions with him and it doesn't bother him at all. He is ready to go."
Freshman year at Michigan
Gardner was one of seven members of Michigan’s 2010 recruiting class to enroll early in January 2010, along with Stephen Hopkins, Austin White, Christian Pace, Jerald Robinson, Ricardo MillerRicardo Miller
Ricardo Miller is an American football tight end for the Michigan Wolverines football team. He was the first player to commit to Michigan’s 2010 recruiting class and enrolled at the University of Michigan in January 2010.-Early years:...
, and Jeremy Jackson.
In December 2009, Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director of ESPN Scouts Inc., said he believed Gardner would compete for Michigan's starting quarterback job in 2010. Luginbill said, "There's no doubt he's got the physical tools to do so." When the Detroit Free Press asked Gardner in December 2009 whether he saw himself starting as a freshman, Gardner said, “Of course I see myself doing that.” Asked about Michigan’s 2009 starting quarterback, Tate Forcier
Tate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
, Gardner said, “A great player, a tough player and a funny guy. I think he’s going to be great competition for next year.” In January 2010, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
noted, "In order for Devin to play -- and I don't even want to discount him because Devin's a very competitive guy -- but you're going to assume that Tate and Denard don't take a step forward." In February 2010, Rodriguez added, "We want guys who want competition, and we're going to foster that. Devin will give some competition to those other guys."