Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Atlanta Falcons truly has a lot to be thankful for this year. He is now second all time in receptions with 1,119 and ninth in touchdown receptions with 95 during his Hall of Fame career and currently has 50 receptions and 7 touchdowns so far this season. Through it all, Gonzalez has remained humble and is admired and well-liked by many on and off the field.
Early life for Gonzalez was very humbling. He was born on February 27th, 1976 in Huntington Beach, California, which is south of Los Angeles. He and his older brother Chris were raised in a single parent home by their mother Judy, who worked two jobs to make ends meet. At his brother’s urging, Gonzalez began playing Pop Warner football at the age of 11. He didn’t like football at first, but his brother continued to encourage him.
Gonzalez started out playing linebacker in high school, not tight end. His junior year he recorded over 60 tackles, but in his senior year, he started to make the transition from linebacker to tight end. That year, he posted 62 receptions for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns.
But his first love wasn’t football, it was basketball. He was already over 6-feet tall in high school, and he averaged over 17 points per game for Huntington Beach. As a senior, he averaged 26 points per game.
Gonzalez then went on to excel in both football and basketball at the University of California, where he was even coached by future NFL head coach Steve Mariucci. After leaving Cal, he was drafted 13th in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played 12 seasons, and he is currently in his third season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Gonzalez is also a husband, father, and businessman.
He has accomplished a lot in his career, thanks to learning the value of hard work from his mother, and with the help and encouragement of his brother. Those key relationships made a tremendous difference in helping to make Gonzalez the Hall of Famer that he is today. Remembering the positive force for change you can be in someone’s life is a key lesson to remember on Thanksgiving.
