From the hardwood to the Hall, Gates completes final step of unique football journey.
Antonio Gates’ unlikely pathway to the NFL is very well documented, and that pathway finally culminated in the ultimate achievement on Thursday night.
Antonio Gates is a Pro Football Hall of Famer. The tight end was one of four inductees in the class of 2025, sharing the honor with cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.
During the tight end’s successful 16-year NFL career, it was a recurring topic on broadcasts that Gates did not turn professional in typical fashion. Instead of lacing up the cleats and scoring touchdowns on grass or turf surfaces, Gates wore sneakers and suited up on the hardwood in his college days.
Gates originally committed to Michigan State in hopes of thriving as a dual-sport athlete. However, after some dissuasion, the Detroit native opted to move to Eastern Michigan where he specialized in basketball. He onboarded as a starter during the 1999-00 campaign, averaging 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as the team’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder.
After one season in Ypsilanti, MI, Gates transferred to the College of the Sequoias — a JUCO school in California — before landing back in the MAC. This time, the established basketball starter committed to Kent State, where he quickly became the star of the Golden Flashes.
Gates never played a single down for the Golden Flashes’ football team, but he led the basketball team to its pinnacle of success during his two seasons there from 2001-03. The 6’4” small forward averaged 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a junior, guiding the Golden Flashes to a 30-6 overall and 17-1 conference record. Kent State won the MAC and warranted a 10-seed in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
Gates and the Golden Flashes ran through the gauntlet of 7-seed Oklahoma State, 2-seed Alabama, and 3-seed Pittsburgh to claim the program’s first and only Sweet Sixteen and first and only Elite Eight appearance. Riding a 21-game win streak, Kent State ultimately bowed out to 5-seed Indiana in the Elite Eight to conclude the best season in program history. Gates averaged 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during the historic tournament run.
Under a new head coach, Gates increased his scoring average to 20.6 points per game as a senior in 2002-03 — ranking top 30 in the country. He also averaged 7.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals while notably improving his efficiency and volume from 3-point range. While the Golden Flashes did not repeat as MAC champions, Gates was named an Associated Press All-American honorable mention for his individual efforts. His No. 44 was ultimately retired at Kent State in 2010, seven years after playing his last game in blue and gold.
Rather than pursue the NBA, the undersized power forward elected to try out in front of NFL scouts, and that’s when he realized his professional career took the ultimate turn.
Gates didn’t hear his name called in the seven rounds of the 2003 NFL Draft, but the San Diego Chargers took a chance on the basketball player as an undrafted free agent. It only took two seasons for the Chargers to realize they had a star on their hands. By year two, Gates was on the fringe of 1,000 yards and ranked fourth in the entire league in receiving touchdowns. As a result, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and named First Team All-Pro.
The next season, Gates surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time and continued his Pro Bowl streak, which lasted eight seasons from 2004-11. Gates earned three First Team All-Pro honors in 2004 through 2006 and Second Team All-Pro honors in 2009 and 2010. While his peak lasted from 2004-11, Gates continued to thrive as a Charger through the franchise’s move to Los Angeles. He retired after the 2018 season without ever changing teams.
Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
The 2000s NFL All-Decade selection retired with 955 receptions, 11,841 receiving yards, and 116 receiving touchdowns. Gates is currently 21st in the all-time receptions list and fourth among tight ends. In receiving yards, he ranks 34th all-time and fourth among tight ends. But the place where Gates made the biggest name for himself was the end zone. He stands atop all tight ends in NFL history in receiving touchdowns and checks in at seventh all-time in the statistic. As a Charger, Gates has a stranglehold as the franchise leader in all three categories.
And that leads to the greatest honor a football player can receive — a gold jacket. Gates joins Jack Lambert as the second Kent State alum to qualify for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The legendary tight end will officially be inducted in August at the annual ceremony in Canton, OH.