2012 SD Chargers Media Guide_PROOF.P - Seahawks Online ...

85 ANTONIO GATESTight End Free Agent - ’036-4, 255 Kent State10th NFL SeasonCentral HS10th with ChargersDetroit, Mich.Antonio Gates, the San Diego Chargers’ all-time receptionsleader, finally returned to 100 percent in 2011.Hampered by nagging foot injuries, Gates finally foundcomfort as the 2011 season motored along and he endedthe year leading the team in receptions for the seventh timeduring his Hall of Fame career. For Gates, the highlight cameon Christmas Eve in his hometown of Detroit, Mich., whenhe passed Charlie Joiner to become the Chargers’ all-timeleading receiver with his 587th career catch. Gates finishedthe year with 593 catches, leaving him just seven awayfrom 600, a mark that only four tight ends and 58 totalplayers in NFL history have achieved.Gates ended 2011 on a high note. He was voted to theAFC Pro Bowl squad for an eighth-consecutive season andin the Chargers’ season finale at Oakland, he recorded hisfirst 100-yard game of the year and had a season-long 38-yard touchdown catch in a win over the Raiders. Gates’touchdown catch against the Raiders was the 76th of hiscareer, leaving him just five behind Lance Alworth’s teamrecord of 81. Considering that Gates has had at least sevenTD catches in every season since 2004, it’s a matter ofwhen, not if Gates will pass the legendary “Bambi.”From 2004-10, Gates was the only NFL player with atleast eight touchdown catches in each of those seasons.Heading into 2012, he has 19 100-yard receivinggames, tied with Anthony Miller for sixth in team history.Gates is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team (2000-09) and one of the Chargers’ 50 Greatest Players of All-Time. In addition to being an eight-time Pro Bowl all-star,he’s been named first-team All-Pro three times during hiscareer. Since his arrival in the NFL in 2003, Gates leads alltight ends in TD catches (76), while ranking third in receivingyards (7,783) and catches (593). To properly put Gates’numbers into perspective, there are presently seven modern-eratight ends enshrined in the Pro Football Hall ofFame. Gates’ career touchdown total exceeds all seven.They include Winslow, John Mackey, Ozzie Newsome,Dave Casper, Jackie Smith, Charlie Sanders and Mike Ditka.Gates’ unique route to the NFL has been well-chronicled.When he signed with the Chargers in 2003, he had not playedfootball since his senior season at Central High School inDetroit. He began his collegiate career at Michigan State underthe assumption that he could play both football and basketball,but when the football coach relented, Gates chose to focus onhoops and decided it was best to leave the East Lansing campus.An up-and-down start to his basketball career sent Antoniobouncing to three different schools before he finally founda home at Kent State, where in two seasons he helped lead theGolden Flashes to back-to-back Mid-American Conferencechampionships and the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in2002. Gates left the Kent, Ohio campus as the school’s sixthleadingscorer and he returned to the Kent, Ohio, campus inFeb. 2010 to have his No. 44 jersey retired by the school.Gates’ basketball background has also had an impact on thecommunity. Annually he serves as the honorarychairman for the Shoot to Cure HD, aspeed free-throw shooting contest and eventthat raises money for the Huntington’s DiseaseSociety of America. He also hosts “Shopwith a Charger,” a unique Christmas event forhomeless, neglected and abused children.If Gates’ athletic career had not steered him toward footballor basketball, it’s possible he may have fashioned acareer in boxing. His paternal grandfather,Henry Hank, was a professional boxer in the1950s and ’60s. Hank fought 97 professionalbouts as a middleweight and light heavyweight,winning 62 of them. His 1962 fightagainst Joey Giardello was voted the Fight ofthe Year by Ring Magazine. Old photos showa striking resemblance between Gates and his grandfather,and many in the family believe that Gates inherited his athleticability from him.Had Gates not opted for a career in athletics, he might havetried his hand as a firefighter. A couple of years ago, a group offirefighters attended a training camp practice and one of themost enamored players was Gates. He told several of themthat long ago he’d dreamed of being a firefighter so severalweeks later, the assistant San Diego fire chief returned toChargers Park and presented Gates with a SDFD firefightersjacket with his own name and number.VETERANS &RETURNING PLAYERSTRANSACTION HISTORY: Signed with Chargers, May 2,2003…signed six-year contract Aug. 22, 2005...signed newsix-year contract through 2015, July 28, 2010.2011: Pro Bowl...caught eight passes Week 1 vs. Minnesotato move past LaDainian Tomlinson and into third place onteam’s all-time receptions list...inactive Weeks 3-5 (foot)...first touchdown catch of season Oct. 23 at NY Jets...70thcareerTD catch to join Tony Gonzalez as only tight ends inNFL history with at least 70 scoring catches...finished gamewith five catches (542 career) and moved past KellenWinslow (541) for second-most in team history...set up thirdquarter touchdown Dec. 5 at Jacksonville with seven-yardcatch on 3rd-and-4 play, and at same time passed Gary Garrisonfor third on team’s all-time receiving yardage list...earlierin game, kept another touchdown drive alive with 23-yardcatch on 2nd-and-20 play...Dec. 11 vs. Buffalo, scored firsttouchdown of game, and during drive passed Garrison(7,562) for fourth on team’s all-time list for career scrimmageyards…caught second touchdown pass in third quarter, 75thof his career to become 27th player overall and only secondtight end (Gonzalez) in NFL history with 75 career TD catches...marked14th-career multi-touchdown game and first of2011...Dec. 24 at Detroit, caught team-record 587th careerpass for six yards on 4th-and-5 in fourth quarter to passCharlie Joiner (586) for all-time lead...Jan. 1 at Oakland,scored Chargers’ first points on season-long 38-yard touchdowncatch on 3rd-and-9...ignited next scoring drive with37-yard catch and contributed to third-quarter TD drive withnine-yard catch on 3rd-and-4, followed by 16-yarder thatContinued next pageMEDIA GUIDE | 59