Tony Gonzalez

Lore & Background

Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, Gonzalez is the NFL's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end, and he ranks second in receiving touchdowns. Gonzalez earned 14 Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro selections during his career, both of which are records for a tight end. Gonzalez was known for his durability, appearing in 270 of 272 regular season games and losing only two fumbles on 1,327 touches. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019, his first year of eligibility.

Reader's Guide

Gonzalez was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a second round pick in the 2010 NFL draft on April 23, 2009. In his first regular season game with Atlanta against the Miami Dolphins, Gonzalez caught a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan and became the 21st player, and the first tight end, in NFL history with 11,000 receiving yards. He finished the game with five receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown, his 20-yard touchdown reception marking only the third time he scored in the opening game of the season. Although Gonzalez recorded 83 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns, his total statistics went down from the previous years in Kansas City, and Gonzalez was not invited to the Pro Bowl that season.

Did You Know?

• Gonzalez was born in Torrance, California and attended Huntington Beach High School, where he was named Orange County High School Athlete of the Year, beating out golfer Tiger Woods.
• He played both football and basketball at the University of California, Berkeley, and briefly resumed his basketball career in 2002, playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA Summer League.