Anthony Gonzalez
Encyclopedia
Anthony E. Gonzalez is an American football
wide receiver
for the Indianapolis Colts
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ohio State
.
in Cleveland, Ohio
, where he was a two sport standout in both football and track. In football, he was a two-way player. As a senior, he was a first team All-State honoree as well as the Associated Press
and The Plain Dealer Co-Defensive Player of the Year, catching 71 passes for 1,873 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 26.4 yards per catch set a school record. In track, he lettered for four years and qualified for the state finals as a junior and senior. Gonzalez also played basketball as a freshman.
, playing with fellow future NFL wide receivers Santonio Holmes
, Ted Ginn Jr and Roy Hall
as well as Heisman Trophy
Winner and San Francisco 49ers
quarterback Troy Smith
. As a junior, Gonzalez was an All-Big Ten choice by league coaches. Gonzalez was also an Academic All-American, majoring in philosophy.
, and was taken to become the Colts slot receiver. He was one of three Ohio State receivers selected in that draft.
In Gonzalez's first year, he caught 37 passes for 576 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 2008, Gonzalez had his breakout year when he caught 57 passes for 664 yards and 4 touchdowns.
In 2009, Gonzalez earned the starting wide receiver position along with Reggie Wayne
after Marvin Harrison
was released from the team in off-season. He injured his right knee during the season opener against Jacksonville Jaguars
and was expected to miss up to eight weeks, although he failed to return that season and was placed on injured reserve
on December 24.
In 2010, Gonzalez had lost the starting wide receiver position due to missing the 2009 season being on injured reserve
. He played in a total of two games as a slot receiver with only 5 catches for 67 yards and no touchdowns. He injured his PCL in his left leg in week 8 against the Houston Texans and was placed on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
Early years
Gonzalez attended St. Joseph grade school in Avon Lake, OH and then moved on to Saint Ignatius High SchoolSaint Ignatius High School (Cleveland, Ohio)
Saint Ignatius High School is a private Roman Catholic, Jesuit high school under the Diocese of Cleveland, for young men, located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school is renowned for its high standards of academic excellence, athletic program and performing arts programs...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, where he was a two sport standout in both football and track. In football, he was a two-way player. As a senior, he was a first team All-State honoree as well as the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and The Plain Dealer Co-Defensive Player of the Year, catching 71 passes for 1,873 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 26.4 yards per catch set a school record. In track, he lettered for four years and qualified for the state finals as a junior and senior. Gonzalez also played basketball as a freshman.
College career
Gonzalez was a 3-year letterman at Ohio State UniversityOhio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, playing with fellow future NFL wide receivers Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
, Ted Ginn Jr and Roy Hall
Roy Hall
Roy Hall is an American football wide receiver for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
as well as Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
Winner and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
quarterback Troy Smith
Troy Smith
Troy James Smith is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers. He...
. As a junior, Gonzalez was an All-Big Ten choice by league coaches. Gonzalez was also an Academic All-American, majoring in philosophy.
Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Gonzalez was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 32nd selection in the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, and was taken to become the Colts slot receiver. He was one of three Ohio State receivers selected in that draft.
In Gonzalez's first year, he caught 37 passes for 576 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 2008, Gonzalez had his breakout year when he caught 57 passes for 664 yards and 4 touchdowns.
In 2009, Gonzalez earned the starting wide receiver position along with Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
after Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
was released from the team in off-season. He injured his right knee during the season opener against Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was expected to miss up to eight weeks, although he failed to return that season and was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on December 24.
In 2010, Gonzalez had lost the starting wide receiver position due to missing the 2009 season being on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. He played in a total of two games as a slot receiver with only 5 catches for 67 yards and no touchdowns. He injured his PCL in his left leg in week 8 against the Houston Texans and was placed on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year.