WR Anthony Gonzalez (2005 All B1G, US Congressman)

[Buckskin86]

Dungy comments on Gonzo...

Gonzalez, the Colts? first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, started nine of 13 games, catching 22 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns in his final five regular-season games. He also had 100-yard games in that stretch against Atlanta and Baltimore.

?You really did? see progress from Gonzalez, Dungy said. ?Even early on, down in Tennessee (in Week 2), he made a couple of plays before the half that got us going.?

Gonzalez, who played mostly the slot in college, made his second start against Tampa Bay in Week 5, starting on the outside in place of Harrison. He then started in Harrison?s place seven of the next nine games. He played as the third receiver in the Colts? playoff loss to San Diego, catching four passes for 79 yards and a 55-yard touchdown.

?The Tampa game ? when he started and made some big plays on the outside when he hadn?t really practiced out there ? all the way through the playoff game,? Dungy said. ?I think you?re going to see that second-year jump with him (next season), just more consistency.

?The ability to make the big play is what we?re used to seeing around here. I think he?s going to just fit right in that way.?

And while Dungy said Gonzalez wasn?t happy with his progress at times as a rookie, ?he made it through.?

?I think it was tough on him, because he expected to contribute more and for it to be smoother,? Dungy said. ?I just would tell him, ?Hey, look at Reggie?s first year. Look where Reggie is now.? He got more opportunity than Reggie (in 2001), but he did well.

?He?ll be so much better next year. It should be fine for him.?

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

 

[Buckskin86]

Q&A with Anthony Gonzalez: Former Buckeye catches on in first season as pro
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 3:12 AM
By Tim May

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

By this time a year ago, Anthony Gonzalez had made the decision to leave Ohio State with a year of eligibility remaining to enter the NFL draft. It paid off. He was a first-round draft pick of the then-defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

A year later, he doesn't regret the move. In fact, he seemed settled into the groove of being a professional when he stopped to answer a few questions from The Dispatch:

Q: What is the biggest difference between being a college player and being a professional?

A: It's the freedom that you are given to take ownership of the type of player you're going to be. In college everything is really structured by your team, the athletic department and the school. You have workouts of a specific type year round; you have to go to class, to study table, to training table. In the NFL, there is nobody forcing you to do anything, really. The presumption is, 'We are paying you a very nice salary and you have to do the things it takes to be successful, to perform, or we're going to take that away from you and find somebody else.' It's a very different ballgame.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Q&A with Anthony Gonzalez: Former Buckeye catches on in first season as pro

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Scout's Inc. ranks the 64 best recievers in the NFL.

ESPN - Bounce-back season puts Moss on top - NFL

47. Anthony Gonzalez

Indianapolis Colts
Gonzalez fit in well as a rookie, filling the void created by the injury to Marvin Harrison. Gonzalez has excellent hands, is an effective route runner and has good run-after-catch ability, which will likely only improve. He also is very bright -- a must in the Colts' offense -- and was quick to adapt to the speed of the NFL.

 

[Buckskin86]

Published: May 18, 2008

Gonzalez?s model for progression with Colts: Reggie Wayne

By Tom James
Tribune-Star Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS ? Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy has often pointed out that the biggest improvement in an NFL player?s career comes between his rookie season and his second year in the league.

That was certainly the case when it came to Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who saw his reception totals jump from a career-low 27 in 2001 to 49 a year later. In fact, Wayne ? who had a team-high 104 catches for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago ? has steadily improved his statistics each year that he has been in the league.

Now, heading into the 2008 season, its up to a pair of second-year receivers from Ohio State to raise their levels of play. Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall have both looking to do exactly that during the team?s three-day minicamp, which ended after a pair of practices on Sunday.

Gonzalez, the team?s first-round draft choice in 2007, had a respectable rookie season as he hauled in 37 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns. But his development was held back a bit as he got a late start in practice a year ago due to NFL rules and injuries.

?Year two is starting out a lot better than year one,? he joked Sunday. ?Not having to deal with the pressures of being a rookie and trying to jam an offense into your head in two days and that whole thing. I feel like I knocked out a lot of the hurdles that I think you have to jump over as a rookie. So it feels a lot of better being in year two than it did in year one for sure.?

While Gonzalez attended the Colts? rookie camp the week after the 2007 draft, he was forced to miss the team?s full minicamp last year due to a league rule that prohibited first-year players from practicing if their respective colleges hadn?t completed their graduation exercises.

He also attended an NFL-related rookie photo shoot in Los Angeles. Consequently, he wasn?t able to do anything until the final week of organized team activities last spring.

?I wasn?t even at minicamp last year. So this is my first experience with the awesome thing. But, truthfully, I think that set me back a little bit last year. I really wanted to be here last year but there was a league rule that prevented it. So I am happy to be here this year just to get off on the right foot and start with everybody else and get back into the flow.?

With the knee injury to veteran Marvin Harrison that kept him sidelined for most of the regular season, Gonzalez was forced to see playing time as both a slot and outside receiver. That learning experience may have been somewhat of a headache in the beginning, but it may have ultimately helped into learning Indianapolis? offense much quicker.

?I think, if anything, it helped actually. If you?re pigeon-holed in one spot, then maybe you can get comfortable with knowing just that role and not necessarily the big picture of things,? he said.

?Once you move from [outside receiver] to [slot] and back and forth and things like that, you really have to get a grasp of everything that is going on or else you?ll have a bust and then the play doesn?t work. Initially it was a little bit harder and may be slower. But at the end of the day, it definitely helped.?

Terre Haute News, Terre Haute, Indiana- TribStar.com - Gonzalez’s model for progression with Colts: Reggie Wayne

 

[Buckskin86]

Friday, May 30
NEW YEAR, NEW FEELING
By John Oehser - Colts.com
Gonzalez More Comfortable Entering Second Season with Colts

INDIANAPOLIS ? The difference is as obvious as it is enjoyable.
And for that, Anthony Gonzalez is thankful.

Gonzalez, a second-year wide receiver and the Colts? first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, this time a year ago was doing essentially what he is doing now. He was in Indianapolis for the team?s organized training activities.

But last year, Gonzalez was a rookie. This year, he is a veteran.

A year?s difference, yes.

But to Gonzalez, it?s all the difference in the world.

?This season, more than anything, I feel like I?ve been a lot more comfortable,? Gonzalez said during the team?s organized training activities ? or, OTAs ? which will continue at the team?s training facility through mid-June.

?With that, you can play faster. You don?t think as much.?

Last May and June, Gonzalez said a case could be made he was thinking a bit too much.

?Last year, I was trying to cram a playbook and finals for school into those couple of weeks,? he said. ?I remember my last OTA was the first week in June. My last final was three days after that.

?It was one of those things where I was still a student athlete. For better or worse, it held me back a little bit. This year, I?m not dealing with that and I feel like I know all the plays. I know all the guys.

?It?s just been a lot more relaxing and fun for me, really.?

?I?m not a big chip-on-my-shoulder type of guy, but coming out college, all I heard was I was only a slot guy and could not play outside ? no matter what,? Gonzalez said. ?I always look at the opportunities I have outside as chance to kind of prove those people wrong, whoever those people are. You never want to be pigeonholed. In college, I played in the slot for a variety of reasons.

?I think if you asked our coaches (in college), they wouldn?t have said, ?Well, he can?t play outside.? It was, ?He doesn?t play outside.???

Gonzalez finished the season with 37 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns, catching 22 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns in his final five regular-season games. When Harrison returned in the team?s playoff loss to San Diego, Gonzalez played as the third receiver, catching four passes for 79 yards and a 55-yard touchdown.

?You can always get better at something,? Gonzalez said. ?I just know technically there are different things I need to do better. Technically, I?m not as sound in all the areas I need to be sound. If you listen to Coach Dungy, he?ll tell you technique is pretty much the game of football. It just boils down to techniques. I believe that. That?s pretty much where I?m at. Once I feel better about my technique, I?ll feel better about myself as a player.

?At what point do you say your technique is perfect? You don?t. There?s always something to work on. I don?t care who you are. Techniques are things that certainly can get better. You can always get better. It?s not a matter of something that can?t be done. You just have to put in the work.?

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts

 

[Buckskin86]

Taking it in: Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez watches during a summer school workout Tuesday at the team's complex. - Sam Riche / The Star

Gonzalez set to step up in 2nd year
Comfort level increasing for Colts wide receiver
By Mike Chappell
Posted: June 4, 2008

At no point last season did Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez feel lost or alone as he experienced the NFL for the first time.

But neither was the team's 2007 first-round pick totally comfortable. The transition took time, and remains ongoing as Gonzalez participates in the Colts' voluntary summer school.

"It's the same with any new job," he said. "There's always anxiety in meeting new people, little things like finding out where the mail is, finding out where the training room is.

"Now," Gonzalez added with a smile, "I know where the locker room is."

"I don't want to say I feel great about everything, but I'm coming along,'' he said. "Every part of my game just needs to be a little bit better, a little bit sharper, a little bit crisper and a little bit faster."

Gonzalez set to step up in 2nd year | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

 

[Buckskin86]

Manning discussing his weapons including Gonzo....

NFL Video Galleries

 

[Buckskin86]

Clifton Brown
Reloaded Colts will be fine if Harrison can't go
Posted: June 25, 2008

The Indianapolis Colts are masters at changing parts without losing production. As in, they're not sweating wide receiver Marvin Harrison's uncertain status because Anthony Gonzalez is poised to play a larger role.

Gonzalez was a smart draft pick for the Colts in 2007; his presence means Harrison's current status does not leave the Colts vulnerable. If Harrison comes back and plays well, their receiving corps will be even stronger. If Harrison no longer can be counted on, Gonzalez looks more than ready to step in.

Gonzalez had a solid rookie season, with 37 receptions for 576 yards. But with a year under his belt and Peyton Manning more familiar with him, Gonzalez could enjoy a breakout season.

Don't expect a Pro Bowl from Gonzalez, but do expect his numbers to go up if healthy. With Wayne and Clark to worry about, opponents can't focus on Gonzalez. That means Gonzalez rarely will be double-teamed, giving him a chance to exploit the middle of the field with speed and cutting ability.

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists

 

[Kueller]

The mention of cutting ability reminds me of his TD against Iowa:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzoYfSR0dIo]YouTube - Anthony Gonzalez Play of the Week vs Iowa[/ame]
Heck of a block by Hartline too.

 

[Buckskin86]

Rookie receivers catch on in second year
Posted: June 27, 2008
Michael Bradley

Gonzalez, who played at Ohio State and was the last player selected in the first round in '07, says there were "hardly any" bump-and-run practitioners in the Big Ten. Bowe had even less experience with aggressive defenders while at LSU. "In college, I saw a total of two or three (bump-and-run) guys in four years," he says. "Corners played off me and gave me a cushion because I was faster than them." Even if the receivers are able to beat press corners, in the NFL they must navigate complex coverage combinations. In college, the proliferation of spread offenses has forced defenses to play bland zones, which allows receivers to find openings easily.

"Then comes the acid test," Colts general manager Bill Polian says. "How do they hold up when a safety like (Dallas' Ken) Hamlin comes to separate their head from their shoulders?"

Of course, it's tough to keep up when your body is screaming for mercy. The level of conditioning necessary to endure a mini camp practice, much less training camp or the ensuing season, is well beyond that of college ball. Colts receivers' coach Clyde Christensen laughs when he recalls Gonzalez's troubles. "In the first mini camp, Anthony buckled over like he was completely out of shape," Christensen says, adding that Gonzalez is "conscientious" when it comes to preparation. Because there are fewer players on a pro roster, players run many more patterns. During a typical NFL game-week practice, young receivers will do their work and then act as the opponent's wideouts because there is no scout team as there is in college. After a while, the rookies can't keep up. Christensen remembers one practice when Gonzalez was running a takeoff route and quarterback Peyton Manning missed him with the pass. Of course, Manning wanted to run it again. And again.

"After the sixth time, (Gonzalez) was running about half of my speed, and I run a double- digit 40 time," Christensen says. "He was looking for oil, like the Tin Man."

When Gonzalez dislocated his thumb November 4 against New England, it was actually a positive. He missed two games and had the chance to catch his breath and study tape of himself and fellow Colts receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. "I would see how Reggie ran a pattern and be able to say, 'OK, that's how it's supposed to look,' " Gonzalez says. In his return from the injury, a rejuvenated Gonzalez caught six passes for 105 yards against the Falcons. He closed the regular season with 22 receptions in his last five games. "I felt more comfortable and more part of things," he says. "(The time off) helped me focus a bit more."

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists

 

[jwinslow]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Hall of Fame Game: Anthony Gonzalez is coming 'home' again
Saturday, August 2, 2008
BY Jim Thomas
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

HEADING TO CANTON Colts wide receiver Tony Gonzalez, a former Ohio State and Cleveland St. Ignatius star, makes a catch in front of Marvin Harrison during training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., on Friday. Gonzalez will play in Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against the Washington Redskins at Fawcett Stadium.
AP MICHAEL CONROY
​

Cleveland. Columbus. Indianapolis. Anthony Gonzalez has called all three cities home during the last seven years.

Canton? It's home away from home as far as the Indianapolis Colts' second-year wide receiver is concerned.

"I've played at Fawcett Stadium five times," Gonzalez said earlier this week to Indianapolis-area media in preparation for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday against Washington at Fawcett Stadium.

"The last time was a state title game, which we won."

That was in 2001 with Cleveland St. Ignatius. A junior, Gonzalez caught a 32-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to help the Wildcats beat Cincinnati St. Xavier, 37-6, in the Division I championship game.

Gonzalez caught seven balls for 144 yards that day, helping St. Ignatius earn the last of its nine state titles. As a senior two-way star at receiver and cornerback, Gonzalez and the Wildcats lost to Mario Manningham's Warren Harding Raiders in the first round of the playoffs.

It seems everywhere Gonzalez goes, his team wins.

Continued.......

 

[Buckskin86]

Anthony Gonzalez to enjoy homecoming
Receiver planning on meal at parents' Cleveland home, playing time in exhibition
By Mike Chappell
Posted: August 2, 2008

A TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Anthony Gonzalez gets the best of both worlds this weekend.

Foremost on the receiver's agenda is the Indianapolis Colts' matchup against the Washington Redskins on Sunday night in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Gonzalez will know the lay of the land. As a standout at Cleveland's St. Ignatius High School, he played in Canton's Fawcett Stadium several times.

But making the weekend complete will be the chance to spend a bit of time with his parents 60 miles north in Cleveland, where the Colts are staying.

"I will have dinner at my parents' house (today),'' Gonzalez said. "If I get to eat at my house, I'm in heaven.''

After that, he will refocus on the task at hand.

"Still being a second-year (player), I'm just excited to get reps,'' Gonzalez said. "I still feel like a guy who needs some work, who certainly has a long way to go.''

Anthony Gonzalez to enjoy homecoming | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Gonzalez finding comfort zone
By Todd Golden
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE ? Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez wouldn?t know how to deal with a sophomore slump if he had one. Not because he?s incapable, it?s because the second year of his Colts experience doesn?t really compare to his second season at any other level.

Instead of worrying about what could be, Gonzalez is happy with what is. He?s comfortable with the Colts offense, he?s comfortable with his role, he?s comfortable with his life.

?I feel a lot more comfortable. I know the playbook, I know the players, which is bigger than anything because you have people to talk to,? Gonzalez said. ?I?m comfortable with the city, I like the city, I like my neighbors. Just little things like that. Everything you can think of that would make a guy more comfortable, I am.?

Gonzalez, the Colts? 2007 first-round draft pick, was an important cog in the offense last season, especially after Marvin Harrison was injured during a Week 4 game against Denver last September. He had 37 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns.

Gonzalez will be counted on again, but just because he had a promising rookie campaign doesn?t mean it makes him feel more comfortable for his second go-around.

?I?ve never really looked at it that way. I just kind of try to do my job, try to contribute in a positive way when I?m out there. If I?m lucky enough to do it, great, if I?m struggling, I need to figure something else out,? Gonzalez said.

Cont...

 

[Buckskin86]

Thursday, August 14
A QUICK CAMP
By John Oehser - Colts.com

Camp Goes Quicker, Smoother for Second-Year Wide Receiver Gonzalez

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? Things are different now for Anthony Gonzalez.

And just how different they are for the Colts? second-year wide receiver can be seen in how he views this week?s closing of 2008 Colts Training Camp.

This time last year, Gonzalez said, it seemed as if the Colts would never leave the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, because for Gonzalez ? a first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft ? camp seemed to drag forever. Fast forward a year.

How times change.

The end of camp, he said, has arrived ?much quicker,? he said. ?Much quicker.?

?Last year, I remember feeling like we were here for three months,? Gonzalez said this week at Colts training camp, which will conclude Friday with a 9:30 a.m. practice.

?Every day was a mental and physical grind last year. This year, it?s still obviously difficult. The level of work is still high, but it?s a completely different thought process for me.?

That?s the difference in one year to the next in the NFL.

Specifically, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said, it?s the difference for a quality young player in a rookie season and a second season.

Dungy and Colts President Bill Polian often have said a player typically makes his biggest improvement between his first and second season, and thus far in camp and preseason, Dungy said Gonzalez has shown signs of making such a jump.

?Anthony?s doing well,? Dungy said. ?He learned a lot as a rookie. He?s a very confident guy and a very smart guy. I think just knowing the offense better, he?s going to have the same progression that (Colts third-year running back) Joseph Addai had (last season).

?He (Gonzalez) had a good year (last season), but it will be so much smoother and easier for him this year I think his production level is really going to pick up.?

The Official Website of the Indianapolis Colts