The Facts: In their first years on the ballot, Gonzalez, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, this summer, joined by fellow enshrinees Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Pat Bowlen, Gil Brandt and Johnny Robinson, as announced Saturday night at NFL Honors.
Diehards Line:
Most notable from a fantasy football perspective, Gonzalez, the man who redefined the tight end position, has been properly recognized as such. The most prolific pass-catching tight end in the game's history, Gonzalez was a game-changing talent who changed the perception of what a tight end could be in the NFL. A first-round pick out of Cal in 1997, Gonzalez rampaged through defenses for 12 seasons in Kansas City and five in Atlanta, ensuring his place on the All-2000s Team. Make no mistake, the charming Gonzalez had a steely resolve and was the NFL's equivalent of an ironman as a position player. The tight end missed just two games over the course of his 17-year career. Gonzalez still holds the record for most receiving yards by a tight end (15,127), but is also second all-time receptions by any player to the great Jerry Rice. From 1999 through 2013, he missed the Pro Bowl just once, in 2009, his first season with the Falcons. Gonzalez's pass-catching prowess paved the way of other dual-threat tight end greats, like Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Rob Gronkowski, all of whom can lend credit to Gonzalez if and when they receive knocks on their doors on future Super Bowl Saturdays.