Antonio Gates
On August 2, 2025, Antonio Gates was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio — the first inductee ever who never played college football. Gates had turned down playing both sports at Michigan State under Nick Saban, chose basketball, and became an Elite Eight star power forward at Kent State in 2002. Told he was a "tweener" too small for the NBA, he returned to football with no college snaps and no game film, arranged workouts for NFL scouts, and signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Paired with Drew Brees, he broke out in 2004 (81 catches, 964 yards, 13 touchdowns) and rewrote the tight-end position, making eight Pro Bowls and retiring with an NFL-record 116 touchdown catches by a tight end. "It's like I'm telling a fiction story," Gates said of his own path. "It's not even a story you can make up."