AFC WEST TE Antonio Gates at center of team's unlikely success

He was an All-American in basketball at Kent State.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DALLAS -- NFL scouts will be visiting Oklahoma State to evaluate tight end Billy Bajema this fall. They might want to wander across campus to catch a glimpse of basketball forward Joey Graham as well.
In today's NFL, scouts are remiss if they don't know the prospects in both sports. Three of the best tight ends in the AFC came directly off the hardcourt: Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs, Marcus Pollard of the Indianapolis Colts and, most recently, Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers.
Gonzalez doubled up at Cal, playing basketball and football. He started at various times in each of his three college basketball seasons, averaging 6.4 career points and 4.3 rebounds as a power forward.
Pollard did not play college football at Bradley. But he was a two-year starter at power forward on the basketball team, scoring 424 points and grabbing 289 rebounds.
Pollard signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1995 and is in his seventh season as a starter, with 250 receptions.
Gates was the best basketball player of the three, leaving Kent State as the school's sixth all-time scorer with 1,216 points. His play powered the Golden Flashes to an appearance in the NCAA's final eight in 2002, and he earned honorable mention All-America honors in 2002-03.
Quick ascent
Based on early returns, Gates could be the best of the three on the football field, too.
Pollard didn't catch a pass until his second season. Gonzalez didn't start until his second year and didn't post his first 100-yard game until his fourth year.
Like Pollard, Gates entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Even though he had not played football since high school, Gates started 11 games as a 2003 rookie and finished third on the Chargers with 24 catches.
Gates turned in his first 100-yard game in his ninth start, catching five passes for 117 yards against Green Bay last December. He picked up his second 100-yard game in the 2004 season opener when he grabbed eight passes for 123 yards against the Houston Texans.
With 54 catches, Gates leads the NFL in receiving at the season's midway point for the surprising Chargers (6-3). He is attempting to become the first tight end to lead the NFL in receptions since Todd Christensen of the Raiders in 1986.
On pace to equal record
Gates also is flirting with a record catch total at his position. Ben Coates set the standard with 96 receptions for New England in 1994. Gates is on a pace to tie that mark.
"Our personnel people really liked him," Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "But nobody could have imagined this -- or else we'd have drafted him in the first round."
Schottenheimer also was the coach at Kansas City when the Chiefs drafted Gonzalez. He developed an appreciation for the skills a basketball player brings to the football field.
"I look at the body type," Schottenheimer said. "Here's a guy [Gates] 260 pounds with a tremendous reach. He's a terrific leaper, so you have this huge throwing radius. Throw it up anywhere around him and you know he's going to get it.
"You can create a lot of mismatches with this guy. You know he can outjump the defensive backs, and he's got that body mass. Nobody can contest him. They'll bang into him, but he's 260 pounds. He's unique."
Unique in size, unique in productivity. Gates has caught five touchdown passes in his past two games. His eight touchdown receptions lead the AFC.
Gates has caught at least four passes in every game this season. He's the NFL's leading target on third down (19 receptions). He also has produced 38 first downs, tops in the league among all receivers.