Q&A with TONY GONZALEZ - 9/24

Sep 24, 2008, 3:44:58 PM

Q: How is everyone keeping their heads up given your situation?

TONY GONZALEZ: “Obviously, we’re 0-3. What else do you expect? A lot of people are frustrated around here. Embarrassed a little bit. It’s not a good feeling. You try not to think about last year. The way I’m trying to think is last year is last year and we’re only 0-3. But then everywhere you look people are saying we’re 0-11 or whatever it goes back to. You’ve got all this darkness hanging over your head, but that’s when it’s important for you to dig deep and try to stay positive and be enthusiastic. Because at the very least, at least we’re out here playing football. That’s what we love to do and that’s the way I’m going to approach it. We’ve got a game this week, we’re playing a good football team and let’s go get it done as far as I’m concerned.”

Q: Did you feel with all the veterans gone like you were the last guy home to turn out the light?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah, that’s how you feel sometimes. I’ve got old (LB) Donnie Edwards, don’t forget about his old (*ss). Then (G) Brian Waters, you could count him in that group. We’re the Last of the Mohicans and who knows how much longer we’re going to be here. But that’s how it goes. That’s a decision that was made by the front office and (head coach) Herm (Edwards) and (President) Carl Peterson. It’s been kind of fun too, you know, being around all these young guys and getting to know new people. That’s part of the process, too, of being a professional football player. You get to meet all these young guys every year. This year we’ve got a lot more than usual. I’ve got to learn all these new names. But it’s been fun and frustrating at the same time. It’s bittersweet.”

Q: What’s it like for you as a veteran being around all these young guys?

GONZALEZ: “Like I said, it’s bittersweet. Back when they first started getting rid of all the veterans, I was like this isn’t what I signed up for. I just redid my contract and now you’re getting rid of everybody. The word was rebuilding, and why would I want to be a part of something like that? I had those feelings of frustration and I was pissed off and all that, but there’s nothing wrong with change and going out there trying to start all over. That’s where the learning curve comes in with these young guys, they’ve got to come in right away and play. And they have to play well. Right now we’re not playing well enough, there’s no doubt about it. In all phases, it’s not just one position.

“So it’s important that we start learning, and we start maturing a little bit. I remember back in my rookie year, it took me a little while to get going. I think the first eight games of my rookie year I had seven catches, the last eight games I had 25 catches. So it can turn at any moment for these young guys. Once they start playing, these guys are good enough to have a huge impact on the games that we’re in. So hopefully that comes sooner rather than later.”

Q: Do you worry that you might be a Charles Barkley and not get a title?

GONZALEZ: “I think about it. I keep using the word frustrating, but that’s pretty much the way to describe it. It’s frustrating to me, because I want to win. This is my 12th year and I don’t know how many years I have left. I don’t want to sit out here and go out with a losing record. But at the same time, I’m going to go out there and enjoy the moment. At the very least, I’m looking for the positives here, I get to play football. I love playing football, there’s no doubt about it, I still feel like I can perform at a high level. Twelve years, but I’m only 32 years old. I’ve got a lot of football left in me if I want to play that much longer. I’m just trying to go out there and perform. And have fun with it, if we’re not going to win, then get mad about it and next week hopefully we can win.”

Q: When you look at your front office, do you have any criticisms about how they’ve gone about getting young?

GONZALEZ: “No, no criticisms. One thing about our team and the Broncos is that (Denver QB) Jay Cutler has been able to stay healthy. (QB) Brodie (Croyle) got hurt that first game, obviously that’s a big impact. We were counting on Brodie to take that next step in his career and become that dominant player just like Jay has shown that he can do in the first three games of the season. It’s a handicap, there’s no doubt about it. That’s when the backups have to come in and play better. We’ll get this thing fixed. There were some positives last week against Atlanta. The second half we were able run the ball pretty effectively and we were able to go down the field. We just weren’t able to put points on the board. If we can get back out there and put points on the board when we get down there in the Red Zone, we’ll be okay.”

Q: How much longer do you want to keep playing?

GONZALEZ: “Right now, I’m definitely coming back next year, but then after that we’ll reevaluate and see. I feel pretty good right now. Barring any serious injury, I know I could come back after next year, but we’ll see how it goes, I don’t really know right now.”

Q: Do the numbers and things you’ve done personally mean a lot to you?

GONZALEZ: “Right now it’s kind of hard to enjoy it because we’re not winning. Football at this point is not enjoyable in a sense of getting up every day and appreciating the grind because you know you’re getting something out of it. Like I said before, I still love football and I don’t mean to contradict myself, It’s just that it gets hard at times when you’re not winning football games. It’s something that you don’t want to get used to though. I don’t want to get used to it. We have to keep playing and keep a positive attitude and go in thinking we’re going to win this next game.”

Q: Do you think of this record coming up (career receiving yards by a tight end)?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah, I think it’s something I take satisfaction in. With those names at the top with obviously Shannon Sharpe, and Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow. To be mentioned with those guys, guys that I grew up watching. I’ve been playing TE, that was my position, I wasn’t a receiver that turned TE when I got to college or something, I’ve been playing TE since my freshman year in high school. So it’s a position that I’ve admired for a long time. And watching the greats go before me and now knowing that I’m up there surpassing them, it’s an incredible feeling. It’s gratitude and humility and it makes you kind of humble if you think about it. Like I said before, it would be a lot better if I could break that record in a victory instead of a loss.”

Q: Would it mean something to break the record against the Broncos?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah, of course. A division game, a home game, it would be nice to get it this week. In a victory, obviously would be the ideal situation. I know Shannon pretty well. I see him every year at the Super Bowl and we talk. It would be good to get it against his former team. I have nothing but respect for Shannon Sharpe, he’s a guy I watched a lot when I was younger. I talk to him about the tight end position all the time when I do see him out at the Super Bowl. It would be a cool thing.”

Q: What kind of evolution have you seen in the TE position?

GONZALEZ: “The evolution of the TE is huge. It’s making great strides. I think you’re seeing a lot more of the receiving TEs. I think that’s where it’s starting to break down a little bit because people are judging TEs on just catches instead of going out there and actually blocking too, which is part of the position. That’s what I always tell Shannon, I mean gee you didn’t block very much. But yeah, it’s a real athletic position, it’s a mismatch position. Obviously you put a big athletic TE out there, you feel like he can out-jump a corner and out-quick a linebacker, so it’s a position that I think most teams are going to. You can pretty much run the offense through a good TE with that short game.”

Q: Do you feel like you and Shannon were trendsetters?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah, I think so. I think a little bit. Obviously Kellen Winslow, he was kind of the first one to show what that position, that athletic style, that six-foot-five athletic guy getting down the middle. Shannon picked it up then I came in. We were definitely at the beginning of that, but now you see guys like that on every team. It takes more than just being athletic. You’ve got to have the right guy, a guy with the right mindset to go out there and do it week in and week out.”

Q: Do you ever see yourself going to management and asking them to let you go to try and win a championship?

GONZALEZ: “Yeah. I definitely could, but I love being a Chief. But if it was something where it was going to take three or four years or whatever before they get this thing right, I think it would be in their best interest to maybe see what they can get and send me off. But I love being a Chief and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else at this point. At the end of this season, hopefully I don’t have to ask that. Hopefully we get this thing turned around. I’ve got a family now. I came here when I just turned 21, so this is home. That’s where I’m at right now with that.”