Former Gators DB Has Big Day in Eagles Crushing of Cowboys

The former Gators star safety had himself arguably the best game of his career when the Eagles took down the Cowboys on Sunday

The former Gators defensive back had a big day for the Eagles / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Former Florida Gators safety CJ Gardner-Johnson had a career day in the Philadelphia Eagles 41-7 over the Dallas Cowboys. 

He had two interceptions on the day including one that was returned 70 yards for touchdown.

👀🐊Former Florida #Gators DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was ejected from last week's game, opens scoring with a 70-yard Pick Six for the Philadelphia #Eagles.

First TD of his NFL career.pic.twitter.com/4vWIt16SpA

— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) December 29, 2024

It’s his second career game with multiple picks. The other one came back on Oct. 16, 2022, in what was also a win over the Cowboys. It also happened to be that Cooper Rush was in at quarterback for that game too.

Gardner-Johnson is having himself a nice bounce-back season after missing nearly all of last season due to injury. He’s played in all 16 games this season, he’s matched his season-high from 2022 for interceptions with six. However, this time around, it is not enough to be a league leader. 

As of the publishing of this story, Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney and Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph are tied for the most interceptions with seven.

Gardner-Johnson played for the Gators from 2016 to 2018. He played in 37 games in a Gators uniform, making 161 total tackles, picked up four sacks and had nine interceptions. He took three of those picks to the house, with two of them coming in his senior. His pick-six in the 2018 Peach Bowl earned him defensive MVP honors for the game. He also had a pick-six in the 2017 Outback Bowl, which also earned him the game's MVP honor.

The New Orleans Saints took him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He played for the Saints for the first three seasons of his career. He was traded along with a seventh-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2024 and the later of the Eagles' two sixth-round draft picks in 2024.

He signed with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year deal for 2023 before returning to Philadelphia ahead 2024 on a three-year deal.