Tony Gonzalez

Chiefs legend and Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, the NFL's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards at his position.

Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Gonzalez spent his first 12 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft. During his last five seasons, he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Since retiring in 2013, Gonzalez has served as a football analyst for NFL on Prime Video and was previously at CBS Sports and Fox Sports.

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.

Quick Facts

Position: Tight end
Born: 27 February 1976
Birthplace: Torrance, California, U.S.
High school: Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)
College: California (1994–1996)
Draft year: 1997
Draft round: 1
Draft pick: 13

Lore & Background

Gonzalez was born in Torrance, California. He was raised by his mother, who worked two jobs to support the family. His paternal grandfather, whose surname was 'Gonçalves,' had moved from Cape Verde to Argentina; he was of part Portuguese ancestry. His paternal grandmother was Jamaican, with part Scottish ancestry; and his mother's family is African-American, with mixed European roots.

Gonzalez attended Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, California, where he lettered in football and basketball. As a senior, he caught 62 passes for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns and was a first-team All America selection at both tight end and linebacker. Playing basketball, he was named Orange County and Sunset League MVP as he averaged 26 points per game. After his senior year, Gonzalez was named the Orange County High School Athlete of the Year, beating out athletes such as golfer Tiger Woods.

Gonzalez chose to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in communications and played both football and basketball. As a member of the California Golden Bears football team, he played tight end under future NFL coach Steve Mariucci. Gonzalez was also an All-Pac-10 and All-America selection. Gonzalez also continued his basketball career at Cal.

In his junior year, he played in 28 games, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as California made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA basketball tournament. Eventually, Gonzalez had to choose a career between basketball or football. On the difficulty of the transition between the two, Tony said 'you get done playing football and then you transition to basketball[, which] had already been going for a month', but ultimately 'the decision was pretty much made for me...' Gonzalez decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to declare for the NFL draft.

Reader's Guide

Gonzalez was ranked as one of the top tight ends in the 1997 NFL draft and was considered a top 15 selection. The Chiefs traded up from the 18th to the 13th selection with the Tennessee Oilers to draft Gonzalez. Gonzalez began his career in the 1997 season. He finished his rookie season with 33 receptions, two touchdowns, and a blocked punt on special teams, helping the Chiefs to finish with the best record in the American Football Conference (AFC).

He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for the 1997 season. In the 1998 season, Gonzalez saw dramatic improvements with 59 receptions for 621 yards, and he also caught two touchdown passes for the second (consecutive) year. The 1999 season saw Gonzalez again improving when he caught 76 passes for 849 yards and a career-high 11 touchdown receptions, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. In addition, he was named as a First Team All-Pro.

In week 14 of the 2000 season, he had 11 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the New England Patriots. In the 2000 season, he had 93 receptions for 1,203 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl and as a First Team All-Pro for the 2000 season. In the 2001 season, he had 73 receptions for 917 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns while earning his third career First Team All-Pro honor and Pro Bowl nomination.

On November 4, against the San Diego Chargers, he threw his first professional pass, which went for 40 yards. During the 2002 offseason, Gonzalez briefly resumed his basketball career, playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA Summer League. He appeared in two games, with his best outing being an 11 rebound performance in a 72–71 win against the Indiana Pacers. Despite never considering bringing Gonzalez to training camp due to his ongoing football career, then coach Pat Riley later stated that 'If he ever would have pursued it, I think he would have been a 10-year pro'.

In week 4 of the 2002 season, Gonzalez had seven receptions for 140 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a win over the Miami Dolphins. In the 2002 season, he had 63 receptions for 773 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns to go along with yet another Pro Bowl nod. From 2003 to 2006, Gonzalez was the most productive tight end in the NFL. In the 2003 season, he had 71 receptions for 916 receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns.