Antonio Gates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Antonio Gates

Gates with the San Diego Chargers in 2016
Los Angeles Chargers
Position:	Legends ambassador
Personal information
Born:	(1980-06-18) June 18, 1980 (age 45) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:	Central (Detroit, Michigan)
College:	Kent State (basketball)
Undrafted:	2003
Career history
As player:
San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers (2003)
As executive:
Los Angeles Chargers (2020–present) Legends ambassador
Career highlights and awards
4× First-team All-Pro (2004–2007) 2× Second-team All-Pro (2009, 2010) 8× Pro Bowl (2004–2011) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame Kent State No. 44 retired
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 955 Receiving yards: 11,841 Receiving touchdowns: 116
Player stats at PFR

Antonio Ethan Gates (born June 18, 1980) is a famous American former football player. He played as a tight end for the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers his whole career. This was in the National Football League (NFL).

Antonio Gates was chosen for the Pro Bowl eight times. He was also picked as an All-Pro player six times. He stopped playing football on January 14, 2020. He spent 16 years with the Chargers team.

Gates joined the NFL in 2003. He was not picked in the draft. This means no team chose him right away. He played college basketball for the Kent State Golden Flashes before this. He is the Chargers' top player for catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Many people think Gates is one of the best tight ends ever. He is also known as one of the best undrafted players in NFL history.

Early Life and High School

Antonio Gates was born in Detroit, Michigan. He went to Central High School there. In high school, he played high school football.

College Basketball Career

Gates chose to play basketball in college, not football. He first went to Michigan State University. He wanted to play both football and basketball there. But the football coach wanted him to play only football.

So, Gates moved to Eastern Michigan University to play basketball. After a short time, he went to College of the Sequoias. This was a junior college in California. He focused on his schoolwork there. Later, he moved to Kent State University in Ohio.

Playing for Kent State

At Kent State, Gates played for two seasons. He was a power forward for the Golden Flashes. In his junior year, he scored about 16 points per game. He also got 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

His team won their first regular season Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship. They had a great record of 24 wins and 5 losses. Gates helped his team win the MAC tournament twice. This earned them a spot in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

In that tournament, Kent State did very well. They reached the "Elite Eight" round. This was a big surprise for a team that was not expected to go far.

In his senior year, Gates was named an honorable mention All-American. He scored 20.6 points per game. He also had 7.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Over two years, his team had 54 wins and only 16 losses.

On February 27, 2010, Kent State honored Gates. They retired his jersey number, 44. He was only the fourth player to get this honor.

Professional Football Career

After college, scouts told Gates he was not tall enough for the NBA. So, he decided to try out for NFL teams. He had never played college football. But about 19 NFL teams were interested in him.

Gates chose to try out for the San Diego Chargers first. The Chargers saw his talent right away. They signed him to a contract as an undrafted free agent. This means he joined the team without being picked in the NFL Draft.

First Seasons: 2003-2004

In 2003, his first year, Gates started as a third-string player. But he quickly became a starter. He made his first catch in Week 4. He scored his first touchdown in Week 10. In Week 15, he had his first game with over 100 receiving yards. As a rookie, Gates caught 24 passes for 389 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2004, Gates had a very strong start. He caught eight passes for 123 yards in the first game. He scored two touchdowns in Week 5 and Week 8. In Week 9, he scored three touchdowns in one game. He was a favorite target for quarterback Drew Brees. Gates finished 2004 with 81 catches for 964 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On December 19, Gates tied an NFL record. He had 12 touchdown catches in a season for a tight end. He broke this record the next week. Gates was chosen for the 2005 Pro Bowl. He also earned first-team All-Pro honors.

Continued Success: 2005-2007

In 2005, Gates signed a big contract with the Chargers. He missed the first game because of a contract holdout. But he still had a great season. He caught 89 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was again named to the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro.

In 2006, Philip Rivers became the new quarterback. Many thought Gates's performance might drop. But he finished the year with 924 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He helped the Chargers win their division. Gates was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro for the third year in a row.

Gates started the 2007 season strong. He had nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in the first game. He had several games with over 100 receiving yards. He also scored two touchdowns in two different games. For the 2007 season, Gates caught 75 passes for 984 yards and nine touchdowns. He was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Gates played a big part in the Chargers' success. But he hurt his toe before the playoffs. This slowed him down. The Chargers made it to the AFC Championship game. But they lost to the New England Patriots.

Battling Injuries: 2008-2010

Gates playing in 2008

In 2008, Gates considered surgery for his dislocated toe. He missed the Pro Bowl because of his injuries. He played every game that season. But his toe bothered him for the first half of the year. He finished with 60 catches for 704 yards and eight touchdowns.

In 2009, Gates was finally healthy. He had his best year yet. He caught 79 passes for a career-high 1,157 yards. He also scored eight touchdowns. He was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl. The team won 13 games that year. But they lost their first playoff game to the New York Jets.

Gates started the 2010 season by signing a new contract. He scored two touchdowns in Week 2 and Week 4. In the first nine games, he had 40 catches and nine touchdowns. He was limited by foot injuries later in the season. But he still earned his seventh straight Pro Bowl selection.

Breaking Records: 2011-2014

In 2011, Gates tried to play through his foot problems. He missed a few games but came back strong. He finished with 64 catches and seven touchdowns. He was voted into his eighth Pro Bowl. Gates also became the Chargers' all-time leader in receptions. He passed Charlie Joiner's record.

In 2012, Gates had another record-breaking season. He became the fifth tight end in NFL history with 600 career catches. He also became second in Chargers history for most touchdowns. He and quarterback Philip Rivers had 56 touchdown connections. This was the most for any quarterback-tight end pair in the NFL at the time.

In 2013, Gates played all 16 games for the first time since 2009. He had 77 catches for 872 yards. He scored four touchdowns that season.

In 2014, Gates had a great game against the Seattle Seahawks. He scored three touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Gates also passed Lance Alworth to become the Chargers' all-time leader in receiving yards. In the last game of the season, he reached 10,000 career receiving yards. He was the fourth tight end in NFL history to do so. He finished the season with 12 touchdowns. This made him the fourth player ever to catch 12 or more touchdowns at age 34.

Later Career and Retirement: 2015-2020

In 2015, Gates was suspended for the first four games. This was for breaking league rules. When he returned, he scored his 100th and 101st career touchdown catches. He finished the season with 630 yards and five touchdowns. In 2016, Gates played in 14 games. He caught 53 passes for 538 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 2017, Gates set a new NFL record. He caught his 112th career touchdown pass. This was the most touchdowns ever by a tight end. He started only four games that year. He finished with 30 catches for 316 yards and three touchdowns. In April 2018, the Chargers told Gates they would not bring him back for the next season.

However, in September 2018, Gates rejoined the Los Angeles Chargers. This was after another player, Hunter Henry, got injured. Gates scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4. He finished the 2018 season with 28 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. His last NFL game was a playoff loss to the New England Patriots. He scored a touchdown in that game.

Antonio Gates announced his retirement on January 14, 2020. He ended his career with a record 116 touchdown catches for a tight end. Of these, 89 were thrown by Philip Rivers. This was the most ever for a quarterback-tight end team at the time. He also holds the Chargers' team records for catches (955) and receiving yards (11,841).

In 2020, Gates joined the Los Angeles Chargers front office. He now works as a "Legends Ambassador."

Records and Awards

• Seventh tight end with over 500 career catches
• Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball No. 44 jersey retired
• Ninth player, and second tight end, to catch over 100 career receiving touchdowns
• Most career receiving touchdowns by a tight end: 116

Chargers Team Records

• Most career catches: 955
• Most career receiving yards: 11,841
• Most career receiving touchdowns: 116

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Antonio Gates married Sasha Dindayal on July 9, 2011. She is a model. As of 2014, they lived in Encino, California.

Gates has a son named Antonio Gates Jr. His son became a wide receiver for the Michigan State Spartans in 2022.

Gates also appeared on a TV show called The Bachelor (American TV series).

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Gates para niños