Antonio Gates

From Freepedia

Antonio Gates (born June 18, 1980 in Detroit, Michigan) is an football tight end for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.

Before his rookie season, Gates had not played organized football since his senior year in high school. Gates wanted to go to Michigan State under then (football) coach Nick Saban and play both sports, but Saban wanted him to play only football, not basketball. Basketball was his favorite sport and he was offered a full athletics scholarship at Kent State to play on the men's basketball team. Gates became the team's top scorer and rebounder and was a key factor in Kent State's surprise trip to the Elite Eight in 2002. After being told by scouts that he was too much of a "tweener" (6'4") to make the NBA, Gates arranged a workout in front of NFL scouts. Although he had not played football in 4 years, San Diego recognized his potential and signed him to a contract.

After finishing a solid 2003 rookie season, catching 24 passes for 389 yards and two scores, he was picked by many experts to have a breakout season in 2004. That year, only his second season in the NFL, Gates became quarterback Drew Brees's favorite target, finishing the season with 81 receptions for 964 yards and 13 touchdowns. On December 19 Gates tied the NFL season record for touchdowns by a tight end (12) in a 21-0 win over the Cleveland Browns, and he went on to break that record in an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts on December 26. Gates was selected to the 2005 NFL Pro Bowl and caught a TD pass from Colts quarterback Peyton Manning to help the AFC to a 38-27 victory. Additionally, Gates was on the receiving end of a 33 yard pass from teammate Drew Brees in a flea-flicker play selected by fans online.

Gates signed a six-year contract extension with the San Diego Chargers in August 2005, just one day after returning to the team from a holdout.

External Links

• Official NFL Players' Page: Antonio Gates
• San Diego Chargers Player Bio: Antonio Gates