While other players have found inspiration from causes or religion to find their names, Gardner-Johnson, er, Duce, explained the simple roots behind his.
“People call me Ceedy on the football field or Ducey,” he said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “In life, they call me C.J. or Chauncey.”
Gardner-Johnson isn’t the first player, certainly not in the NFL, to have a different persona on the field. However, he might be the first to adopt the gridiron character as his government name.
“I got like two different people living in me, football and life,” Gardner-Johnson said. “Life, I’m just chilling. Football, that’s a whole different person.”
There’s nary a dull moment around Duce, even when he’s nursing an injury. Along with changing his name, the Lions safety has also mixed it up with opposition. Despite being on injured reserve with a torn pec, he recently reignited a war of words with San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, whom he called a running back who “can’t run routes.”
While Gardner-Johnson’s trash-talk seems gameday-ready, he will have to wait a while before he can do any jawing on the field. In danger of missing the season, the safety is targeting a return by the playoffs, should the Lions qualify. Which, right now, looks like a good bet.
Gardner-Johnson spent 2022 with the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles before signing a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Lions in free agency last offseason. The 25-year-old played only two games for Detroit before going down with injury, recording 13 tackles and two pass defenses against the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.
Without him, the Lions have allowed the fourth-most touchdown passes against (11), and only eight teams have given up more passing yards (240.6).