Most anyone with even a cursory knowledge of 21st century pro football knows Antonio Gates played college basketball. It\u2019s a fun tidbit that came up repeatedly throughout Gates\u2019 16-year NFL career, culminating with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. <\/p>\n
But just how good Antonio Gates was on the hardwood, starting at power forward for Kent State, deserves further examination coinciding with Gates\u2019 entry into Canton. <\/p>\n
If you rank the five greatest tight ends in NFL history, Gates probably comes to mind along with Ozzie Newsome, Rob Gronkowski, his Chargers predecessor Kellen Winslow Sr., and Tony Gonzalez. Assuming you\u2019re someone who includes Gates and Gonzalez both in that group, you probably find it interesting two of the five played high-level college basketball. I certainly do. <\/p>\n
Having grown up on Pac-10 basketball, I remember that Gonzalez was a problem for the Cal Golden Bears. Though not a starter, Gonzalez played a key part in Cal teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in both 1996 and 1997. His physicality in the paint was unmatched, making for a devastating thunder-and-lightning frontcourt combination when he was paired with the silky-smooth Shareef Abdur-Rahim in the \u201895-\u201996 campaign. <\/p>\n
Gonzalez\u2019s signature touchdown celebration, dunking the football over the goal-post crossbar, was a fitting homage to his basketball career. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Any time I saw Gonzalez throw it down, it took me back to late Thursday nights staying up for marquee Pac-10 matchups \u2014 and, when emanating from Haas Pavilion, watching games broadcast from the worst camera angle in college basketball. <\/p>\n
As good as Gonzalez was for Cal, Antonio Gates is the greatest hooper to play tight end in the NFL. He\u2019s best known as the star of Kent State\u2019s deep NCAA Tournament run in 2002, when the 10th-seeded Golden Flashes reached the final of the South Regional. <\/p>\n
Kent State advancing to the Elite Eight was a surprise, sure, but certainly not in the way that Saint Peter\u2019s advancing to the Regional final two decades later was. And while the Golden Flashes were comparably seeded to the George Mason Final Four team of 2006, had Antonio Gates and Co. beat Indiana to advance to Atlanta, I don\u2019t know if that would have been nearly as stunning as Jim Larranaga\u2019s Patriots. <\/p>\n
Before its MACtion branding and Jolly Roger flown after upsets in football had taken off, the Mid-American Conference established its as a threat on the hardwood. I\u2019ll spare you going back as far as the days of Nate Thurmond at Bowling Green, instead focusing on the decade preceding the 2002 Big Dance. <\/p>\n
Shortly after expansion of the field to 64 teams, the MAC enjoyed plenty of March success: Rick Majerus-coached Ball State capped a season with AP Top 25 billing advancing to the 2nd Round, while successor Dick Hunsaker over a Sweet 16 RedHawks bunch. <\/p>\n
Miami U. teams advanced past the 1st Round in both 1995 and 1999, and in \u201899, advanced to the Sweet 16 behind one of the greatest opening-weekend performances of my lifetime. More on that in a moment. <\/p>\n
Eastern Michigan advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1991, and in 1996, spoiled Mike Krzyzewski\u2019s return to March Madness after a hiatus behind the electric play of 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Eastern Michigan is actually where Antonio Gates\u2019 MAC basketball story starts \u2014 by way of Michigan State, anyway. In an alternate reality, the Detroit high school product Gates is another local standout on Tom Izzo\u2019s \u201cFlintstones,\u201d the national championship-winning team that featured Flint, Michigan, sensations Charlie Bell, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson. <\/p>\n