He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft.
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.
Gardner was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 87th overall pick in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft.
In January 2022, Gardner was announced as a member of the 2022 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
This biographical article relating to an American football defensive lineman born in the 1960s is a stub.