“He has the potential to be one of the best.”
—All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson

“I don't know if anybody is big enough and fast enough to cover him.”
—Pro Bowl safety John Lynch

“I told the Bucs about him. They didn't listen to me.”
—NFL veteran Dwight Smith

“He has the potential to be as good as Tony Gonzalez.”
—NFL veteran Donnie Edwards

“It's all about the quarterback just throwing the ball up to him. And him just going up and getting the rebound.”
—NFL veteran Kenoy Kennedy

“Antonio Gates is the greatest tight end who has ever strapped on a helmet.”
—Former Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer

“If anyone had known about him, he'd have been drafted in the first round. What this young man's done is nothing short of remarkable.”
—Schottenheimer

“You can pretty much put the ball anywhere around him. He's got great timing and judgment.”
—Patriots head coach Bill Belichick

“He's got big-play capabilities.”
—Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan

“He has the instincts to carve up a zone defense like an electric knife through a tender turkey breast.”
—Sportswriter Dan Pompei

“I knew Antonio is the kind of unselfish player who likes to fit in. He didn't need the ball. He'd set picks, rebound, defend, do the dirty work. He wasn't the kind of personality who'd mess things up.”
—Former Kent State basketball coach Stan Heath

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