CalBear
Footballguy
Tony Gonzalez has now officially retired, and we need a tribute thread for the Greatest TE Of All Time.
After redefining the position, he finishes with:
1325 receptions (#2 all-time to Rice, 510 more than Shannon Sharpe)
15127 receiving yards (#5 all-time, 5,067 more than Sharpe)
111 receiving TDs (#6 all-time, 24 more than Gates)
13 Pro Bowls
6 first team All-Pros
In his 17-year career, playing a very physical skill position, he missed just two games. His 253 starts is #7 all-time. Manning can catch him, but no one else for many years.
At fantasy football, he was even more dominant than in the NFL. He finished #1 or #2 at his position 6 years in a row (1999-2004), top-10 16 years in a row (1998-2013), and top-5 13 times. His career total of 876 VBD points outdoes Sharpe (the #2 TE in that stat) by over 250. In overall VBD (comparing against all positions), he finished top-12 (worth a first-round fantasy draft pick) five times, top-24 seven, and top-36 10 times, and better than that if you play PPR. That's as good as Manning, better than Favre, and way better than every other non-RB outside of Jerry Rice. And while the RBs have higher peaks, they don't have the longevity. Tomlinson finished top-5 six times, but top-36 only eight.
He also was a strong blocker, paving the way for record-breaking seasons by Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in KC. Five times in his career, the team's lead RB had over 2000 yards from scrimmage.
He was also a strong basketball player who could have played in the NBA. He wouldn't have been a star, but he had a good outside shot for a big man and was an excellent defender. In 1996, the Golden Bears lost their star and Pac-10 Player of the Year Ed Gray in the last game of the regular season (broken foot). Gonzalez stepped up in the NCAA tournament against Villanova, holding future NBA star Tim Thomas to 11 points and scoring 23 to lead the Bears into the Sweet 16. He always joined the basketball team midway through the season because of football commitments; that year the Bears' football team went to the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day in Hawaii, so Tony missed the entire non-conference schedule. If he had focused on basketball he could have been really solid.
I'll raise one to my favorite Golden Bear of all time. Tony, here's hoping I see you back on campus finishing your degree.
Nice article from last year: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40927752/
Tribute video from NFL films: http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap2000000307653/Tony-Gonzalez-career-retrospective
After redefining the position, he finishes with:
1325 receptions (#2 all-time to Rice, 510 more than Shannon Sharpe)
15127 receiving yards (#5 all-time, 5,067 more than Sharpe)
111 receiving TDs (#6 all-time, 24 more than Gates)
13 Pro Bowls
6 first team All-Pros
In his 17-year career, playing a very physical skill position, he missed just two games. His 253 starts is #7 all-time. Manning can catch him, but no one else for many years.
At fantasy football, he was even more dominant than in the NFL. He finished #1 or #2 at his position 6 years in a row (1999-2004), top-10 16 years in a row (1998-2013), and top-5 13 times. His career total of 876 VBD points outdoes Sharpe (the #2 TE in that stat) by over 250. In overall VBD (comparing against all positions), he finished top-12 (worth a first-round fantasy draft pick) five times, top-24 seven, and top-36 10 times, and better than that if you play PPR. That's as good as Manning, better than Favre, and way better than every other non-RB outside of Jerry Rice. And while the RBs have higher peaks, they don't have the longevity. Tomlinson finished top-5 six times, but top-36 only eight.
He also was a strong blocker, paving the way for record-breaking seasons by Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in KC. Five times in his career, the team's lead RB had over 2000 yards from scrimmage.
He was also a strong basketball player who could have played in the NBA. He wouldn't have been a star, but he had a good outside shot for a big man and was an excellent defender. In 1996, the Golden Bears lost their star and Pac-10 Player of the Year Ed Gray in the last game of the regular season (broken foot). Gonzalez stepped up in the NCAA tournament against Villanova, holding future NBA star Tim Thomas to 11 points and scoring 23 to lead the Bears into the Sweet 16. He always joined the basketball team midway through the season because of football commitments; that year the Bears' football team went to the Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day in Hawaii, so Tony missed the entire non-conference schedule. If he had focused on basketball he could have been really solid.
I'll raise one to my favorite Golden Bear of all time. Tony, here's hoping I see you back on campus finishing your degree.
Nice article from last year: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40927752/
Tribute video from NFL films: http://www.nfl.com/videos/atlanta-falcons/0ap2000000307653/Tony-Gonzalez-career-retrospective
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