(Photo: The Detroit News)
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about the sport is seeing when a player breaks into the league and becomes one of the best at his position. Back when the Chargers were still playing in San Diego, they had some memorable teams. Before Philip Rivers, Drew Brees was Quarterbacking the team, and they also had a Hall of Fame Running Back by the name of LaDainian Tomlinson. After the 2005 season, the Chargers moved on from Drew and decided to start Philip. Before Rivers took over, the Chargers signed an undrafted free agent by the name of Antonio Gates who would become a focal point of the offense. I felt he should’ve been inducted on the first ballot, but later is better than never as the legendary Tight End will become a member of the Hall of Fame in August this year!
Antonio is one of the five greatest Tight Ends I’ve had the privilege of watching play our game. I remember paying close attention to him and asking myself, “who’s this guy wearing the number 85”? He never played college football and was a basketball player during his college days at Kent State. I remember Antonio being labeled as a tweener by NBA scouts and instead, he turned to a different sport arranging a workout for the Chargers and the rest is history. Whenever it came to pass catching Tight Ends, Tony Gonzalez was the first name that always came to mind. However, when it came to both (pass catching and route running), that’s when Antonio’s name came into the conversation. He had that it factor and used that wiggle to get around his defender. I always thought he was quicker than Tony because 88 used leverage whereas Antonio didn’t necessarily have the blazing speed, but he knew how to maneuver himself in those tight spaces. A small juke here and there to create separation, and he was open. What made Antonio a threat was the mix of speed, conditioning and body positioning as he did on the basketball court. He was never afraid to be physical on the court, and he had that same mentality on the football field. Antonio was so crafty and knew how to work angles on the field and would often use his body as a shield against the defender from the ball, just as he used to grab rebounds for Kent State. It could be textbook coverage and the defender would get boxed out basically. I remember a game against the Raiders in 2014 where he ran a deep drag route over the middle, and he got absolutely drilled, but still found a way to hold onto the ball! He always played with toughness.
I couldn’t be happier for this legend as he will receive the highest honor for a football player. What amazes me about his journey to Canton and becoming an all-time great at his position is he never played college football. Antonio retired as the all-time leader in touchdowns amongst Tight Ends with 116 and still holds the record to this very day. He was Philip Rivers’ top target all of those years for a reason. Rivers knew he could throw the ball in the vicinity of 85, and he’d come away with it or the chains were being moved. I’m glad I witnessed his greatness and his career will forever be enshrined in Canton. Congratulations legend on this honor.
