After an illustrious career that saw records shattered and goal-posts shaken from post-touchdown dunks, former Atlanta Falcons tight-end Tony Gonzalez is headed to the Hall of Fame. And make no mistake about it: his road to Canton was paved in Atlanta.
In the swap of the century, the Falcons acquired Tony Gonzalez in 2009 for the hefty price of a second-round draft pick. Thomas Dimitroff, who had just taken on the role as GM in 2008, refused to play it safe. And it paid off big time. For five memorable years, a veteran Gonzalez would be Ryan’s security blanket, providing sure hands to a young and unproven quarterback.