Ahmad Gardner explains his ‘Sauce’ chain at NFL draft 2022
Cincinnati CB and Detroit native Ahmad Gardner explains his “Sauce” chain at NFL draft, give props to his jeweler, April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas.
Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
- Detroit King has had 15 players in its history to play in the NFL.
- Players’ accolades range from Defensive Rookie of the the Year to a Super Bowl appearance.
Detroit has made a name for itself as an NFL player-producing powerhouse. As recently as 2023, no city – and that’s just the city, not the suburbs – had produced more active NFL players.
And many of those came from well-known programs, such as Detroit King High School.
King ranks third in Michigan, with 15 players making it to the NFL all-time. That includes three active players, according to Pro Football Reference. King trails only Northwestern (16, though none are active) and Cass Tech (22, with six active).
Here’s a look at 10 former King stars that went on to make an impact in the NFL.
Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner
Class: 2019.
Position: WR, CB.
The buzz: Gardner’s three catches for 78 yards in the 2018 Division 3 state championship helped the Crusaders down Muskegon, 41-25. He earned All-Detroit honors from the Free Press as well as a first-team all-state nod during his senior year before heading to Cincinnati. In three seasons with the Bearcats, he didn’t give up a touchdown at cornerback. Gardner was selected by the New York Jets at No. 4 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft and went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. In three NFL seasons, he has two Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections.
Avonte Maddox
Class: 2014.
Position: WR, RB, DB, PR.
The buzz: A two-sport athlete for King, Maddox spent all four years on the baseball team and his final two years on the football team. In his senior season, he racked up 35 receptions, 956 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense. As a defensive back, he had four interceptions and contributed to the Crusaders’ defensive line that limited opposing teams to nearly 11 points a game, earning a scholarship from Pitt. Maddox played for the Panthers for four seasons and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft (at No. 125 overall). He played in Philadelphia for his first seven seasons. In March, Maddox signed a one-year deal with his hometown Detroit Lions.
Ambry Thomas
Class: 2017.
Position: WR, CB.
The buzz: Thomas helped lead King to back-to-back state championships in 2015 and 2016. After high school, Thomas spent four years at Michigan, where he was named the team’s Defensive Skill Player of the Year and an All-Big Ten honoree in 2019. In 2021, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft (No. 102 overall). He played three seasons with the Niners, with two interceptions and 79 tackles in 42 games.
Nick Perry
Class: 2008.
Position: DL, LB, TE.
The buzz: Perry transferred to King after his previous school, Detroit Mackenzie, shut down following the 2006 season. In his lone season with the Crusaders, the standout lineman helped the team go 14-0, clinching the school’s first football state championship. He tallied 147 tackles and set a single-season state record of 36 sacks. After redshirting his first year with USC, Perry played three seasons for the Trojans before being drafted in the first round (No. 28 overall) by the Green Bay Packers in 2012. He played seven seasons with the Packers, totaling 214 tackles and 32 sacks in 81 games.
Kevin Vickerson
Class: 2001.
Position: OT, DE.
The buzz: In his senior year, Vickerson had 97 tackles and 17 sacks to earn a top-10 spot in the Free Press’s top 50 football prospects and helped King reach 10-1. He went on to play four seasons at Michigan State, finishing his collegiate career with 119 tackles and 8½ sacks. Vickerson was drafted in the 2005’s seventh round by the Miami Dolphins. Over an eight-season NFL career, he had 166 tackles and 6½ sacks for the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and the Jets.
Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams
Class: 1998.
Position: OG, DB.
The buzz: Adams went from King to four seasons with Penn State. Following college, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2003 draft (at No. 57 overall). He played with the Niners for four seasons before signing with the Chicago Bears, for whom he spent his final five NFL seasons.
Ron Johnson
Class: 1998.
Position: WR.
The buzz: Johnson played four seasons at Minnesota, leading the Big Ten in receiving yards his junior season (along with finishing fifth in receptions). In 2002, he was selected in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 123 overall; in two seasons with the Ravens, he caught 11 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Gerald McBurrows
Class: 1992.
Position: CB, S.
Accolades: McBurrows played three season at Kansas before becoming a seventh-round selection by the Rams in 1995, their first season in St. Louis. He spent eight years in the league playing for the Rams and the Atlanta Falcons, finishing with 345 tackles and five interceptions over 122 games.
Ken Woodard
Class: 1978.
Position: LB.
The buzz: A three-sport athlete for the Crusaders, Woodard played four seasons at Tuskegee before being selected in the 10th round of the 1982 draft by the Denver Broncos. He recorded 11 sacks and two interceptions during his five-season stint with the Broncos, which included an appearance in Super Bowl 21 in 1987. He also played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before ending his career with two seasons with the then-San Diego Chargers. In 2019, Woodward was inducted into the Tuskegee University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rod Hill
Class: 1977.
Position: DB.
The buzz: After graduating in 1977, Hill committed to Iowa but transferred to Kentucky State after one season with the Hawkeyes. In 1982, he was selected 25th overall by the Dallas Cowboys and played for the Lions and the then-Los Angeles Raiders before playing for Winnipeg of the Canadian Football League. With the Blue Bombers, he won Grey Cups in 1988 and 1990. Hill was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 1996.
Others
- DB Chris Greenwood (three games with Lions in 2003)
- DB Ernest Shazor (two games with Cardinals in 2005)
- LB Karon Riley (25 games with Bears and Falcons, 2001-04)
- WR Roy Banks (15 games with Colts in 1987-88)
- LB Michael Taylor (22 games with Jets in 1972-73)
Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.
Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @EricGuzman90.
