Lionel Gates
Encyclopedia
Lionel Theron Gates is an American football
running back
who is currently a free agent
. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills
in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Louisville
.
(Jacksonville, Florida
) and was awarded four varsity letters each in football
and track
. In football, he was chosen twice for the All-Northeast Florida team and was named one tof the top Senior Football Players in the state of Florida by FOX.com.
, where he split carries with Eric Shelton
(Panthers) and finished his college career
with 310 rushing attempts for 1,475 yards (4.8 yards per rushing attempt average) and 20 rushing touchdowns, 40 receptions for 469 yards (11.7 yards per receiving average) and 2 receiving touchdowns, and 6 kickoff returns for 92 yards (15.33 yards per kick return average).
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. 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 Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
.
High school years
Gates attended Terry Parker High SchoolTerry Parker High School
Terry Parker High School is a public high school in the Duval County Public School district, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.-Namesake:...
(Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) and was awarded four varsity letters each in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In football, he was chosen twice for the All-Northeast Florida team and was named one tof the top Senior Football Players in the state of Florida by FOX.com.
College years
Gates attended University of LouisvilleUniversity of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, where he split carries with Eric Shelton
Eric Shelton
Eric Shelton is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(Panthers) and finished his college career
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...
with 310 rushing attempts for 1,475 yards (4.8 yards per rushing attempt average) and 20 rushing touchdowns, 40 receptions for 469 yards (11.7 yards per receiving average) and 2 receiving touchdowns, and 6 kickoff returns for 92 yards (15.33 yards per kick return average).