Literally a lifesaver

Jul 10, 2008, 6:04:35 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ

Forget about “Hard Knocks.” If HBO or some other TV network wants a riveting reality show tied to the NFL, it ought to follow Tony Gonzalez around in the off-season.

There can’t be anybody else in the league who’s involved in as many extraordinary and upbeat off-season episodes as the Chiefs’ perennial Pro Bowl tight end. And Gonzalez’s experiences don’t need to be staged, which is more than you can say for some “reality” shows.

You hear now and then about a nurse, physician or a Good Samaritan with first-aid training who uses the Heimlich Maneuver and rescues someone from choking in a public place. But how many of us actually have seen this happen, or would dare intervene?

And how many of us could successfully perform the maneuver, despite a lack of training? Or get applauded rather than sued. Gonzalez said he acted on “instinct” last week when he rescued Ken Hunter, who was choking on steak in a Huntington Beach, Calif., restaurant.

By now, none of Gonzalez’s off-season experiences should surprise us. And they haven’t all been pleasant or rewarding for him. One initially threatened his football career.

A little more than a year ago, Gonzalez lost feeling in his face and felt severe pain in the back of his head. This was diagnosed as Bell’s Palsy, an unexplained and temporary weakness of paralysis to one side of the face. Because the symptoms are similar to life-threatening afflictions, including strokes, Gonzalez experienced a big scare before diagnosis and recovery.

As if that wasn’t harrowing enough for him, he was advised a few months later that tests revealed a low white cell count, raising the possibility that Gonzalez had leukemia. His lab work, he explained, got mixed up with that of another patient.

Five years earlier, Gonzalez used his free time to try reviving his basketball heyday at the University of California. Though not a hot NBA prospect out of college, he made a Miami Heat rookie summer squad that went to Orlando to face other NBA rookies. Heat rookies Michael Beasley, from Kansas State, and Mario Chalmers, from Kansas, are playing on that team now.

Gonzalez’s NBA stint proved short-lived, but, heck, even Beasley, the second overall draft pick, missed 12 of 13 shots Tuesday night after a brilliant debut. And running the floor against that level of competition isn’t a half-bad way to spend part of a summer.

With his pro basketball aspirations cooled, Gonzalez switched his summer plans to studying Spanish. In successive summers, he took classes in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

All his off-the-field interests, including charitable work, haven’t prevented him from staying in Pro Bowl shape. Though 32 and entering his 12th Chiefs’ season, Gonzalez, with 99 catches for 1,172 yards, had one of his most productive years ever in 2007.

It’s a long shot that Gonzalez’s hands alone can revive the Chiefs’ offense as quickly as they revived Hunter. He’ll go to training camp as one of few proven stars in a galaxy of unknowns.

The Chiefs will need another big season from Gonzalez to make their offense hum again. His receiving skills allowed the Chiefs to lead the NFL in offense in 2004 and 2005, though they weren’t especially deep in talent at wide receiver.

The situation is similar now, with the Chiefs seeking a dependable wide receiver to complement Dwayne Bowe, a rookie standout in 2007. For Brodie Croyle, a young quarterback who’ll be playing behind a rebuilt line, a sure-handed tight end should be a lifesaver.

And when we call Gonzalez a lifesaver, that’s not just a figure of speech, anymore.

Related:
Tony Gonzalez Saves Mans Life

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

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A former sportswriter and columnist in Kansas City and Miami, Rand has covered the NFL for three decades and seen 23 Super Bowl games. His column appears twice weekly in-season.