Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner corrects birth year to 2001

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner clarified on Thursday that he is 24 years old, correcting a widespread error that had listed his birth year as 2000 instead of 2001. The two-time All-Pro made the statement to reporters on the final day of the Colts' mandatory minicamp, directly addressing the discrepancy found on numerous sports websites and databases.

Gardner insisted his correct birth date is August 31, 2001. He stated that this date has been reflected on all his official paperwork since his college career at Cincinnati, including his driver's license. Major outlets such as ESPN and Pro Football Reference, however, have consistently listed his birth year as 2000, a mistake also present in the popular video game Madden NFL.

The NFL and the Colts organization have maintained the correct information. An NFL spokesman explained that clubs notify the league of any incorrect birthdates from college sites when a player signs and that players self-verify their personal details through a league portal. The Colts confirmed Gardner's passport lists the 2001 date.

The origin of the error remains unclear. It may have stemmed from online sources like Wikipedia, which previously...