“He’s really something special. He can do so many different things that he’s really revolutionizing the position.”
—Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome

“Tony is the guy who can carry the torch for the next generation of tight ends.”
—Newsome

“He’s got the be the best athlete at the position.”
—NFL coach Keith Rowen

“He has the speed to run away from a defender, the size to shield him from the ball, and he can make the tough catch.”
—NFL coach Joe Pascale

“He’s bigger and he’s faster and he can out-jump me.”
—Former Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Brown

“Tony’s confidence level is so high he believes he can catch anything you throw at him.”
—Former NFL quarterback Elvis Grbac

“When I see Tony, I see myself out there. He is an athlete playing football. I think he can put up numbers that won’t be reached for a while.”
—Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow

“He’s the total deal. He can catch the ball and do all the things on offense, but he loves to block.”
—NFL coach Jim Erkenbeck

“Tony is big and athletic, and if he stays healthy, he could become the standard by which tight ends are judged.”
—NFL coach Jimmy Raye

“Tight end never used to be a glamour position until Tony came along. Now you’ve got kids growing up asking to play tight end because it’s all about getting the pigskin.”
—Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes

“I know if I coached against him, he’d keep me awake.”
—Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham

“Tony’s the new breed of tight ends coming into the league. He is a cross between a wide receiver and a tight end.”
—Cunningham

“I remember watching Tony Gwynn in San Diego, when he built his own batting cage in the stadium and took three or four hours of batting practice to the game. That’s the way Tony Gonzalez approaches football every day.”
—Cunningham

“He has unique versatility. I don’t look at Gonzalez as a tight end. I see him as, well, I don’t know what the heck he is.”
—Bucs head coach Jon Gruden

“He is one of the premier tight ends in the league right now.’
—Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson

“Tony Gonzalez can make a difference in a football team. Anytime you get a player like that, it makes you better right away.”
—Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Tony Gonzalez is a better football player then he’s ever been.”
—Vermeil