Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez stopped by to talk about his career and the evolution of tight ends with Arrowhead Addict.
It’s been a stellar week for some of the crew at Arrowhead Addict as they’ve been on the ground in media row for Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. As the Kansas City Chiefs get set to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game, many notable celebrities and athletes have stopped by for interviews throughout the festivities, including some of our favorite Chiefs players of all time.
The latest legend to hang out and answer questions is former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, a man who reset the entire position during the course of his career. While Gonzalez played in both K.C. and Atlanta, NFL teams were forced to reconsider the potential of what a tight end could accomplish for an offense.
Gonzalez’s career numbers speak for themselves with 14 Pro Bowl appearances, 6 first-team All-Pro selections and numerous NFL records. His 1,325 receptions are still third all-time in the NFL—not just at his position and his 111 receiving touchdowns are No. 8 on the league’s all-time list.
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AA podcast hosts Matt Verderame and Patrick Allen sat down with Gonzalez at the Super Bowl to talk more about the success of the Chiefs, his career, and the evolution of the tight end position. When asked about how he was able to take part in such a positional shift, Gonzalez said he was lucky to be paired with a former Chiefs coordinator who thought outside of the box.
“I was lucky. I had an offensive coordinator named Jimmy Raye here in Kansas City. He believed in me and said, ‘Hey, we’re not just going to line you up at the tight end position. We’re going to put you in the slot. We’re going to put you out at receiver. We’re going to put you in the backfield.” So that’s how that started. A lot of them don’t even put their hand in the dirt anymore.
“You see what Travis Kelce has done for the position. You see what a guy like Kyle Pitts can do. He’s a unicorn. You see Darren Waller, who I saw walking around here. These guys are so big and so athletic. And the way the league has gone, too, to a pass-first league. Guys are throwing 40 or 50 times a game. The numbers these guys are putting up—it’s been fun to watch.”
You can catch the full interview with Gonzalez below.
Tony Gonzalez spoke on behalf of Bayer Asprin.