Expertise on the courtroom carried Tony Gonzalez to Corridor of Fame

In 1997, earlier than they drafted tight finish Tony Gonzalez within the first spherical, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs routinely put collectively spotlight tapes of high prospects for his or her coaches and scouts. The Gonzalez reel included extra than simply soccer performs; it contained clips of him enjoying basketball for the College of California.

His hoops abilities, in actual fact, made it clear to the Chiefs they could properly draft Gonzalez. They determined Gonzalez can be their decide after then-general supervisor Carl Peterson and then-coach Marty Schottenheimer went to Cal to observe Gonzalez play a basketball sport for the Bears.

“We checked out all elements with regard to Tony and we knew he was a great faculty basketball participant,” Peterson mentioned lately. “It was simply one other means to take a look at his athleticism. It simply confirmed for us what a extremely positive athlete he can be as a good finish. He was a rebounder who actually knew tips on how to use his physique place. Any time he went up for a rebound in site visitors, he would come down with the ball. We thought that capacity can be helpful enjoying for the Chiefs, and it was.”

After he turned established with the Chiefs, Gonzalez spent a few of his offseasons exploring his basketball potential. One yr he even performed on the Miami Warmth’s summer season league staff.

Gonzalez by no means made it to the NBA, however his basketball abilities weren’t for nothing. They helped him over his 17 NFL seasons turn out to be essentially the most prolific pass-catching tight finish in league historical past — and final winter, he gained first-ballot entrance into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.

Tony Gonzalez, left, was a star on the soccer subject and the basketball courtroom on the College of California. Getty Photographs Sport

Early skeptics

Gonzalez got here late to soccer, and even after he was drafted within the first spherical some questioned — regardless of his athleticism — if he had the fitting stuff to play within the NFL. However the timing of his arrival was proper. In 1997, the NFL was turning into increasingly more a passing league, and a good finish was turning into extra valued for his receiving capacity than his blocking ability.

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Herm Edwards, who coached Gonzalez for the ultimate three seasons of his Chiefs profession from 2006 by way of 2008: “Individuals have been questioning if he may play tight finish with the physicality of the place and all of that. However the tight finish place had modified in lots of methods and athletic tight ends turned the daring factor. He was one of many guys the place you would take him out of the core and line him up in numerous positions and get the [favorable] matchup. With Tony, you simply felt you at all times had the sting. In third-down conditions, you knew he was going to be part of it. It did not matter for those who have been overlaying him or not. He was going to discover a option to get place on you. That was no completely different than within the pink zone. His basketball instincts and tips on how to slide away from protection. … I at all times advised our quarterbacks that after they obtained in hassle, simply discover Tony.”

Former Chiefs quarterback Wealthy Gannon, who performed with Gonzalez throughout the tight finish’s first two NFL campaigns: “I keep in mind Jim Erkenbeck was our tight ends coach, and he would give these guys a check each week. They’d a bonus query, and the bonus query one time was, ‘Who was Pete Rozelle?’ Tony did not know. He answered, ‘the governor of Kansas’ or ‘the governor of Missouri’ or one thing like that, with a query mark. He simply did not develop up enjoying soccer. He got here to it type of late. He had quite a bit to be taught due to his basketball background. He had quite a bit to be taught by way of the NFL sport. However he was such a dynamic participant that he was capable of overcome that.”

“He would field you out, get that place, and though I used to be throughout him, he would nonetheless catch the ball, particularly within the pink zone,” former teammate Derrick Johnson mentioned of Gonzalez. John Sleezer/Kansas Metropolis Star/MCT through Getty Photographs

Soccer over basketball

Historical past proved Gonzalez made the fitting option to play professional soccer, however basketball was by no means removed from his thoughts.

Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt, who performed with Gonzalez for 4 seasons: “I believe he picked soccer as a substitute of basketball as a result of it challenged him extra. He was so fluid on the basketball courtroom.”

Peterson: “He tried to make use of basketball in opposition to me each time we did a contract. The minute the draft was over with the yr we picked Tony, his agent, Leigh Steinberg, calls me and says, ‘Carl, I simply need you to know that to signal him, you are going to have to present him a premium, as a result of if we will not get one thing labored out, he’ll go play within the NBA.’ I advised him I’d get again to him, after which I known as Jerry Krause, who was the GM of the Chicago Bulls. I simply requested Jerry what he had in his scouting report about Tony so far as basketball. He learn it to me: ‘Tenacious defender, excellent effort, good rebounder, poor shooter.’ He then mentioned, ‘Carl, primarily based on this, the younger man higher make his dwelling within the NFL.'”

Gonzalez appeared removed from an eventual Corridor of Famer as a rookie. He dropped lots of passes and caught simply 33, with two going for touchdowns. However he improved shortly after that.

Colquitt: “His weaknesses turned his strengths. He was going to outwork you. That is what he was identified for. There wasn’t one apply within the years we have been collectively right here that I did not see him catching balls afterward, and like 100 balls, 150 balls. He took it to an entire completely different stage.”

Peterson: “The factor I in all probability admired essentially the most about him was his sincerity and his pushed capacity to attempt to be the perfect. He would learn motivational books on the constitution flights. After we acquired [quarterback] Warren Moon, he went proper as much as him and requested him how he may turn out to be one of the best tight finish within the Nationwide Soccer League. He would keep after apply on a regular basis — rain, sleet, snow, warmth, it did not matter — and catch 100 additional passes.”

Gonzalez completed with 1,325 catches (second all time and first amongst tight ends) for 15,127 yards (sixth and first) and 111 receiving touchdowns (eighth and second). David Eulitt/Getty Photographs

The completed product

Gonzalez had not less than 70 catches in 14 of his remaining 16 seasons, together with the final 5 after being traded to the Atlanta Falcons.

Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson, a teammate for 4 seasons: “I used to match up with him on a regular basis in apply. There have been instances once I had him lined up, actually lined. He nonetheless caught the ball. That might drive me nuts. That was all his basketball background. He would field you out, get that place, and though I used to be throughout him, he would nonetheless catch the ball, particularly within the pink zone.”

Tony Gonzalez enters the Corridor of Fame at or close to the highest of a number of NFL and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs data:

NFL

Receptions, profession: 2nd (all-time), 1,325

Receiving yards, profession: fifth, 15,127

Receiving TDs, profession: eighth, 111

Chiefs

Most receptions, profession: 1st, 916

Most receptions, season: 1st, 102

Most receiving yards, profession: 1st, 10,940

Additionally

Professional Bowls: 14

First-team All-Professional: 7

Edwards: “Simply because Tony was lined, that did not imply he wasn’t open. Typically, we threw it to him simply to let him make a play. He was pretty much as good as anyone at that. He cherished man-to-man protection as a result of he was going to out-body you.”

Gannon: “At that stage, it is uncommon that you’ve got anyone who’s simply so a lot better than everyone else. All people within the NFL is an expert and a extremely good participant, however Tony was simply so a lot better than each different tight finish. When he was at apply and there have been three or 4 different tight ends, it was very noticeable the distinction. I performed 17 years within the NFL, however I by no means performed with anyone who was so a lot better than everyone else. In site visitors, there was no one higher. He was a pure when it got here to adjusting to the ball within the air, like a again shoulder throw. He would outjump everyone. I obtained spoiled by the chance to play with him. Then I went to Oakland and we by no means had anyone like that. That made it much more troublesome to assault the protection.”

Former Chiefs quarterback Trent Inexperienced: “One of many issues I shortly discovered was that Tony favored the ball up excessive. When you have been going to overlook with Tony, you needed to overlook excessive. If he was defended, and it did not matter if it was one or two guys, he would say, ‘Put it up excessive and I will get it.’ That is the place his benefit was.”

Gonzalez’s signature celebration was his dunk over the crossbar following a landing. David Eulitt/Kansas Metropolis Star/MCT through Getty Photographs

The dunk

Even Gonzalez’s signature soccer transfer was a basketball play. He would dunk the ball over the goalpost after each considered one of his 111 touchdowns. It was wildly in style with Chiefs followers — aside from the one time he dunked in opposition to the Chiefs, when Gonzalez was with the Falcons in 2012.

Johnson: “He did type of a bit of swim transfer to get previous me. I used to be there, however after all Tony grabbed it for a landing. He obtained me. Then he dunked it, and he dunked it on me. I do not know if everyone within the stadium favored him dunking in opposition to the Chiefs. However all of us knew that will occur. Proper after the sport, he advised me, ‘You had me lined up, and I needed to do one thing.’ However he did not say he was sorry for dunking on me.”