One of the most electrifying players for the New Orleans Saints will be answering to a new name in 2020: second-year safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson announced on his personal Instagram account that he is changing his name to “Ceedy Duce,” describing his decision as it being “time to pave my way for my own.”
It’s not the first time the safety formerly known as Gardner-Johnson has switched things up. He spent his first two years with the Florida Gators listed as Chauncey Gardner Jr.; in his junior year, he hyphenated his last name to honor his stepfather Brian Johnson.
And when he went pro, he began going by C.J., rather than “Chauncey Jr.” So this isn’t a unprecedented behavior for him, though the meaning behind “Ceedy Duce” isn’t very clear. For now, the roster on the official Saints website lists him as C.J. Gardner-Johnson. We’ll keep an eye out for when and if it changes.
Gardner-Johnson, or Duce, joined the Saints as a fourth-round draft pick last summer and rapidly climbed the depth chart for his playmaking ability. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound defensive back started 7 of 16 games played, doing most of his damage while covering the slot. He deflected 8 passes while returning an interception 28 yards, and fielding a fumble 37 yards. 38 of his 49 combined tackles were solo stops, including half a dozen tackles for loss.
It’s a promising start to his career. Now we’ll see whether he can carve out a starting job while surrounded by a group of veterans including Malcolm Jenkins, P.J. Williams, and Patrick Robinson. Whether he ends up playing mostly in the box as a safety or in the slot as the team’s nickel defender, he’s sure to make an impact.
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