Moe Gardner

Morris "Moe" Gardner Jr. is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons from 1991 to 1996. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft.

Early life

Gardner graduated from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

College career

He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he played for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team, and he was a twice consensus All-American in 1989 and 1990. He was selected as the only active player named to Illinois All-Century team in 1990 and ranks second in school history in career tackles for loss. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1990. He was also named as a finalist for both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.

Professional career

Gardner was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 87th overall pick in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft. 1993 is arguably considered to be his strongest season. That year, he recorded 128 tackles leading the Falcons defensive linemen and finishing second overall on the team.

Honors

In January 2022, Gardner was announced as a member of the 2022 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.