Michigan State commit Antonio Gates Jr. continues to live up to father’s name
DEARBORN, Mich. (BVM) — It’s fairly common to see the child of a legendary pro athlete try their hand at the sport their parent played their whole life. While there are many success stories, many of these kids struggle at times to live up to the hype. However, that is not the case at all for Dearborn Fordson senior Antonio Gates Jr.
Any NFL fan that hears the name Antonio Gates knows the impact he had on the tight end position. Growing up in Detroit, Gates got his first taste of football while attending Central High School. He initially planned to attend Michigan State University where he hoped to not only play football under then coach Nick Saban, but also basketball for Tom Izzo.
Not being able to do so, Gates decided to head to Eastern Michigan in order to play basketball. Eventually, Gates ended up at Kent State, where he made quite the mark. As a junior, Gates scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds per game, leading the Golden Flashes to a surprise Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament. He followed that up by averaging over 20 points in his senior year as an honorable mention All-American.
Since he wasn’t highly regarded by many NBA scouts, Gates thought he would try his hand at the NFL. An early success story in what has become a more common trend of former college basketball players competing in pro football, Gates earned a chance with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent.
The rest is history. After a strong rookie season as he moved up the depth chart in 2003, Gates burst on the scene with nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches from quarterback Drew Brees in 2004, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
Gates would end up becoming an eight-time Pro Bowl player during an illustrious 16-year career, all spent with the Chargers. The former basketball player finished his NFL tenure with nearly 12,000 receiving yards and 116 touchdowns, officially hanging up his cleats in 2018.
In a few years, Gates will certainly dawn a gold jacket as he enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But now, back home in Michigan, his son is hoping to put himself on the path to having a similar career as his father.
Currently rated as a top-10 player in Michigan and a top-50 receiving prospect nationally in the Class of 2022, Gates Jr. has proven why time and again throughout his tenure at Dearborn Fordson.
Gates Jr. only caught 15 passes as a freshman, but his talent was evident. As a result, he received offers from the likes of Kentucky, Toledo, Central Michigan and Florida Atlantic after his freshman year.
As a sophomore, Gates Jr. began his breakout. Helping lead the Tractors to a 9-2 record, the receiver caught 45 balls for 700 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite a Covid-marred football season across Michigan in the fall of 2020, the four-star recruit still managed to up his statistical output in just eight games, totaling 750 yards and 10 touchdowns.
If he wasn’t already, Gates Jr. was on the mind of every opponent during his senior season this fall, entering the campaign as a player of the year and Mr. Football candidate. Despite often facing double and triple coverage, the 6-foot-1 wideout still managed over 900 yards and an impressive 16 scores. He was also a factor for the Tractors on defense, racking up plenty of tackles and scoring a pick-six. Throughout the year, he got the attention of plenty — including his father — with some truly incredible plays.
Showing this again.
This was not supposed to be a TD but where there is a will there is a way.
Fordson 2022 Antonio Gates Jr. (MSU commit) with the one handed catch and great run for the TD against Belleville in the 1st half.@Fordsontractors @TractorFootball @AntoniogatesJr1 pic.twitter.com/sHonYEczv4
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) September 25, 2021
Family first! @JoeyRadio caught up with 8x Pro Bowler @AntonioGates85 while watching his son @AntoniogatesJr1 in Dearborn last week! 🔥 #FridayNightClash with @PlanetFitness pic.twitter.com/pgLhRKIYYM
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) September 30, 2021
Perhaps Gates. Jr.’s only regret from the season is his team not going further in the playoffs. Early in the year, Dearborn Fordson was impressive, racing out to a 4-0 start. A two-point home loss to heavyweight Belleville stung, though it was a vast improvement after the team was dominated by Belleville 69-0 last season.
The Tractors bounced back from the loss for two more wins before suffering a three-point loss to Dearborn.
Going 7-2 in the regular season, the Tractors were seen as a state contender heading into the playoffs. After a couple of wins over Cass Tech and Woodhaven, Dearborn Fordson would heartbreakingly fall to eventual state champion Belleville once again in the MHSAA Division 1 regional championship game by a score of 12-7.
Also a basketball player like his father, Gates Jr. will now put his focus onto his final season on the hardwood with the Tractors.
Fresh off the gridiron, Antonio Gates Jr. with the tough finish for Fordson. Dearborn beats CPA by 10. Solid team win. #RecruitTheMitten @AntoniogatesJr1 pic.twitter.com/lIv2BbmGC5
— MittenRecruit (@MittenRecruit) November 21, 2021
But despite the tough finish to his high school career, bigger things are in store for the remainder of Gates Jr.’s football life. After receiving those initial offers following his freshman year, the wideout continued to be heavily recruited. This past summer, he narrowed down his list to five: Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Penn State and Michigan State.
With a tough choice to make amongst a bevy of college football heavyweights, Gates Jr. ultimately followed in his dad’s footsteps, choosing to stay in-state and play for the Spartans.
— AntonioGatesJr‼️‼️‼️ (@AntoniogatesJr1) July 26, 2021
Next year, Gates Jr. will join an upstart Michigan State program. In just their second year under head coach Mel Tucker, the Spartans went an impressive 10-2 this season, with their only losses coming to Ohio State and Purdue. The Spartans were also the only team in the country to beat their rival, No. 2 Michigan.
Gates Jr. joins one of the best recruiting classes in the Big Ten and a top-20 recruiting class nationally. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Spartans and how soon he may take the field. But one thing that is not in question is his immense talent, and the work he has put in to get to this point.
It is very likely that Gates Jr. will make his impact inside Spartan Stadium sooner than later. If all goes as planned, football fans may end up getting familiar with another member of the Gates family on Sundays in a few years as well.
