sil11

ony Gonzaloz's first touchdown this season

WaS ClaSSiC GOnzo. He hauled in another one-

handed, highlight-reel catch during the Falcons'

\feek 2 win over the Eagles. There was the over-

the-shoulder backward glance while splitting rwo

defenders... the slight tip sending the ball further

skyward... then the grand finale as he pinned it

to his chest before falling out of bounds. Two feet

down in the back of the end zone? \fe're talking

about the five-time All-Pro here. All good.

On his way to the Hall of Fame,"Low-key Tony G" stops by totell us how he did it.GI

T

0il10rlnrsr YilN$

[11by Lisa Altobelli

FEBRUARYzOI2 :: NFLr:lro,rrzZII{E 7I

hilc it's tluc that Gonzalez, at 6 reet 5

inches and with Hulk-sized hands, has been

blessed with a liberal catch radius, it's his leap-

ing ability honed while playing college hoops

at Cal that makes such receptions look like he

could be going for the rim. Teams have taken

note and have since signed former ballers as tightends, with the likes of Antonio Gates and JimmyGraham (page 46) also dunking it over the cross-

bar as Gonzalez did before them. So does years ofpalming a basketball factor into clutch receptions?

"Maybel" laughs Gonzalez. "l'm a firm believer

that I wouldnt have the success I've had if I didntplay basketball, and thatt why I still play at least

once a week in the oflseason, but I think it mainly

has to do with repetitiveness.

"I ve caught so many balls thrown at me every

which way since Pop \7arner, so now it's automat-

ic, like driving a car. I dont consciously think about

catching it one-handed or behind the back or anything, but I'm able

to adjust ifneeded from all that repetition."\Mhile this sounds like a prime example of Malcolm Gladwellt

Outliers principle that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice

to master a skill, whats remarkable is that Gonzalez is well past

the 10,000-hour mark at age 35 and is still ardently at it. The em-

bodiment of a coach's dream in terms of work ethic and setting an

example for younger players, Gonzalez still gets to practice early to

72 NFLutalo,f,izrttE rr: FEBRUARvz0l2

catch 50 extra bal1s and wont call it a day until he catches another

50 after the rest ofthe team is heading to the locker room.

"Hes the best pro I've ever been around, and I'm not exaggerat-

ing," says third-year Falcons defensive back Chris Owens. "tVhen Ifirst got here and saw him catching a.ll those extra passes, I realized

that he real1y works at it, and that I'11 have to put in the extra mile-

age, too, in order to be great-and thats what he is. Het the best

tight end in the league."

That's an opinion backed up by facts: This season Gonzalez

climbed over some of the most prolific wide receivers ever to play,

includingTim Brown, Cris Carter, and Marvin Harrison. Now only

Jerry fuce stands ahead of Gonzil,ez on the career receptions list.

Not that you'll ever hear him talk about it."\7e had no idea until they announced it in the team meeting,"

says Owens. "lt just shows you what rype of guy he is. Het not one

to brag about anything, but quietiy goes about his work. \7e call

him 'Low-key Tony G."'It's an apt nickname considering the perennial team-flrst player

turns down interview requests focused on his individual accom-

plishments the week after a 1oss, even when those accomplishments

keep piling up. 'Vhen he decides to walk a'way, Gonzalez will hold

the highest sratistics for a tight end in virtually every measurable

category and will likely be on the first ballot into Canton.

For the majority of his career, Gonzalez rarely had an elite quar-

terback (Elvis Grbac, anyone?) throwing to him, which only makes

his reception numbers that much more remarkable. Couple that

with the fact that he spent half his downs helping to clear lanes for

I ,000-yard rushers such as Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson during his 12 years population, espouses a plant-based food regimen as the besr way to health.)

with the Chiefs, and for Michael Turner now in Atlanta, and youve got a Hal1 of "It was the best I've ever felt in my life, but you need a ton of protein to playFame r6sume for srrre in the NFL, and it was hard to make it work," Gonzalez says. 'And to be honest. I

"(Jf course," Gonzalez says. "I te11 the younger guys that they have to block if missed meat. Not red meat, but theret really nothing wrong with chicken or fish."

they want to call themselves a tight end otherwise you're just a receiver. I iove But something that did come out of his vegan experiment is his now four-year-watching guys like Heath Miller, Jason

riTitten, and Vernon Davis. They may not old company, All-Pro Science, which produces all-natural sports supplemenrs rhatcatch as many balls, but they're out there handling both responsibilities, and that have recently been added to the shelves of\W4role Foods. He also wrote a book called

makes them great tight ends." The All-Pro Diet. Falcons coach Mike Smith passes out copies in the locker room.

1

Gonzalez credits Lady Luck for never having any major injuries and only iniss-

ing rwo starts in the past 14 seasons, but it's also his meticulous diet and workoutregimen that have contributed to his longevity. After reading Dr. Colin Campbell's

7he China Study three years ago, the 247-potnder became the first pro footballplayer on record to attempr a strict vegan diet, though he only lasted a month.(The popular 2005 book, based on a long-term study of diet among a Chinese 6e1d-whenever that day comes." I

Harrison Cris Garter Tim Brown Terrell Owens lsaac Bruce ,41 ,101 1,094 1,078

I l'ue caught s0 many [alls thrown at me euGly whicn way sinGe P0[ WarueL s0 now it's automaliG, lile ilriuing a Ga[ I don't consci0uslyI tninfi a[out Galcning it onc-naniled fi [ehind t[G [aG[ 0] anytning, [ut l'm ailc t0 adiust iI nccded f]om ail mat te[etition. I I

Many of the greatest tight ends, such as Mike Ditka and Kellen \Winslow, were

forced to call it quits around the decade mark due to injuries, so rhe inevitable

retirement question is posed to Gonzalez, who has played 15 seasons.

"Everyone I ve talked to says age doesnt mean anJ'thing," says Gonzalez, who has

consulted legends including \Tarren Moon, Marcus Allen, and Rod -Woodson about

how they knew it when it was their time to go. "Your mind is going to tell you thatyou can keep going forever, but itt your body thatt going to say, 'Okay, you just cant

do this anymore.' But right now I just dont feel like that, nor even close."

Nutrition is such a big deal for Gonzalez that het a regular lecturer on the

school assembly circuit and has said that when he does eventually retire, he wontnecessarily go straight i11q lslsyi516n-het already been Oprah-approved, having

been a judge on her reality show, 7he Big Giue-but wants ro explore more avenues

ofhealth and wellness.

He most likely has a few more one-handed grabs and rungs ro climb in the

record books before that happens, though. So dont ask him to sme11 the roses

quite yet.

"People keep asking me about the records and-dont get me wrong, I'm happy

for the accomplishments-but I don't think about them yet because I'm afraid irwill take away from my game," Gonzalez says. "Every year I go out there and tryto prove something, so I'm not going to resr at rhis point. I wanr to see what I can

accomplish while I'm still playing. I'11 enjoy all that stuffwhen I'm done on the

/e*-<f \ -

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