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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 2009
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NFL
Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez sits on the sidelines during an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He's already assured of going down as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. But there's still something missing: a championship.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER
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2009
Gonzalez adjusting to life as Falcon
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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Tony Gonzalez is the Zen master of tight ends, a guy with Hall of Fame credentials still seeking ultimate perfection.
"It's all about the mind," he said Wednesday, standing in front of his locker at the Atlanta Falcons' training complex. "I love studying the mind, the hidden determinant in human behavior, that type of thing."
If that doesn't sound like your typical football player, well, it doesn't take long to realize Gonzalez isn't just another guy in a helmet and shoulder pads.
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He's revolutionized the tight end position, a large man with hands as soft as the tiniest of receivers.
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He caught 102 passes one season, more than 90 three other times. He's been to the Pro Bowl every year for the past decade, and there's surely a spot reserved for him in Canton at the end of his career.
"If I was younger, I probably would have just caught the ball and tried to turn it up field right away."
But even at age 33, Gonzalez shows no signs of slowing down. Last week, in his debut with the Falcons after spending a dozen years with the Kansas City Chiefs, he led the way with five catches for 73 yards in a 19-7 victory over Miami. His biggest play came late in the third quarter, when he hauled in a short pass from quarterback Matt Ryan, cut to the inside to shake off safety Yeremiah Bell, then picked up a block that finished off a 20-vard touchdown
TONY GONZALEZ
Falcons tight end
"If I was younger, I probably would have just caught the ball
and tried to turn it upfield right away," he said. "But I know the blitz is coming. I know (Bell) is probably coming at an angle. I know I don't want to turn up field right away so he has a better angle. I want to stop and see where he's coming from and hopefully get off him. I got lucky. He's a sure tackler. He usually doesn't miss those tackles."
Still, no amount of visualization can substitute for the ultimate prize — a Super Bowl ring. Gonzalez never made it to the big game in Kansas City. When it became apparent the Chiefs were years away from contending for a championship, he asked to be traded by the only team hed ever played for in the NFL.
Which is how he ended up in
Atlanta.
"That the only reason I wanted out of Kansas City. The only reason," he repeated, with emphasis. "The window is closing. I'm not going to play too much longer. I just want a shot at it. If I don't get it, it will make or break my career? No. But I
definitely want to at least have a chance at it."
The Falcons made a surprising run to the playoffs in 2008, and they gladly gave up a second-round draft pick to add Gonzalez to an offense led by Ryan, running back Michael Turner and receiver Roddy White.
Gonzalez needed all of one game to show what he brings to the mix. The Dolphins stacked the line to stop Turner, the second-leading rusher in the NFL last season, and they did a good job shutting off the long passing game. A year ago,
that would be enough. Not now, not with Gonzalez.
"Guys have to account for him all over the football field," third receiver Brian Finneran said. "Unless you've got a big cornerback or a real athletic safety, you're really going to have a mismatch every time he's on the football field."
Gonzalez's single-minded pursuit of a championship and his rookie-like passion each time he steps on a field have already worn off on a young team that seems to sense it might be poised to do something special.
focus. His understanding. Even his blocking, never a strong point but at least respectable.
"He wants to win," Finneran said. "You can see that in the way he works and applies himself. You see that in between plays, or in between series when he's catching balls on the sideline. He's always working on getting better. He's the consummate pro."
Of course, the Falcons didn't trade for Gonzalez to clear a path for others. They were more interested in those velvet hands, the ones that have hauled in 921 passes for 11,013 yards — two figures unsurpassed by any tight end in NFL history.
"Tony makes it pretty easy for a quarterback," Ryan said. "I just try to put the ball in a spot where he can make a play on it, and he always seems to do that."
Gonzalez feels that many aspects of his game are better than they've ever been. His concentration. His
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For Gonzalez, it all makes sense in his unique view of the world.
"Ive read a lot of books about Zen and the Zen masters, and those guys always seem to get better as they get older," he said. "Even watching all those karate films when I was younger, the older guys were usually the tougher guys. It was always the guys with the long, gray beards who won, because they had been around."
SWIMMING (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Swimming and Diving coach Clark Campbell also recognized Kuzihil's struggles last season.
"It was a rough start," Campbell said.
This rough start was somewhat eased by former Kansas swimmer Maria Mayrovich. Mayrovich, who is from Novorossiysk, Russia, came from a system similar to Kuzhil's and as such they struck up a quick friendship.
"She was like my sister," Mayrovich said. "When I fell down she was always there for me, and when she was down, I was there to pick her up."
Through all of this, Kuzhil enters the season in better shape than ever.
Kuzhil has worked hard in the offseason to ensure she doesn't experience the same drawbacks she encountered in her first year as a Jayhawk. She returned to her hometown during the summer months. Since the pool was not open, Kuzhil heavily relied on the support of her family to guide her training. With the "never-give up" support of her mother, Kuzhil underwent training at the instruction of her brother, who is also her fitness trainer.
Kuzhil has set her goals in accordance with this mission.
"She's used to being here in the states now, she knows how things work," junior swimmer Alyssa Potter said.
"I want to try to make it to the finals," Kuzhil said, referring to the NCAA finals.
She's not the only one expecting great things this year.
"She's a world apart from where she was last year," Campbell said. "She has the talent to be a top-eight finisher at nationals."
Edited by Tim Burgess
NFL
Cassel might start for Chiefs against Raiders
Coach Todd Haley said Cassel, who injured his left knee in a preseason game Aug. 29 and sat out the season opener at Baltimore, would be listed as questionable.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Matt Cassel appeared to be running more briskly in practice Wednesday morning, creating hope Kansas City's No. 1 quarterback might start Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.
"No. 7 (Cassel), as I felt he would, he moved around a little better than he did at the end of the week," said Haley. "Again, this is going to be an evaluation deal with him. He did not participate in the entire practice, so he'll go on the injury report as questionable today."
Cassel's left knee was still braced, but the slight limp he had last week was not evident.
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