About Antonio Gates
Antonio Ethan Gates Jr. (born June 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 16-year career as a tight end for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) from 2003 to 2018. He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and was a six-time All-Pro selection. Gates was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025. Gates was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 after playing college basketball for the Kent State Golden Flashes. He attended college at Kent State University in his junior and senior years after brief stints at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University. He is the Chargers' career leader in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. In 2015, he became the second tight end and ninth player overall to record 100 career touchdown receptions. He ranks seventh in career touchdown receptions, with 116, and leads all tight ends in NFL history. He was the first player to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame without playing college football. Gates is considered one of the best tight ends and undrafted free agents in NFL history. His junior season his team won its first regular season Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship in school history after finishing the regular season with a 24–5 overall record with a 17–1 record in the MAC. He finished with a record of 54–16 in two years of playing.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.