Tight end Antonio Gates has enjoyed a long, distinguished career with the San Diego Chargers over 12 years. On Monday night, the 35-year-old reached another milestone, catching his 100th touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Antonio Gates catches 100th touchdown of his career
Antonio Gates joins Tony Gonzalez as the only tight ends in NFL history to score 100 touchdowns.
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Gates becomes just the second tight end in history to reach 100 touchdowns. Tony Gonzalez was the first, eventually ending his career with 111 receiving touchdowns.
Gates also ties Tim Brown and Steve Largent for seventh all-time among touchdown receptions. Both of those men went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Gates should be joining them one day.
The milestone score came on the Chargers’ first drive of the night. Philip Rivers led the offense on a nice drive to the Steelers’ 16-yard line, then found Gates wide open at the front of the end zone. Gates caught three of Rivers’ first four completions on the night and already has 34 yards, putting him on pace for a massive performance in his season debut.
A former basketball player, Gates transitioned to football after college, signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He won the starting job late in his rookie year and never looked back, making eight Pro Bowl appearances and three All-Pro Team appearances. He was later named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2000s Team.
Gates’ unique combination of size and athleticism was nearly unprecedented for the tight end position, and his game-breaking success blazed a path for later pass-catching tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. Still chugging along at age 35, Gates remains a once-in-a-generation talent.
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