Issue Date: June 5, 2005
Catch this
How does football's best tight end stay on top while missing only one game in his career? Preventive maintenance.
By Tony Gonzalez
I'll never forget my first major sports injury. Playing for Huntington Beach High in California during the 1993-94 season, I was on top of the world. I had 63 catches for 1,005 yards and 13 touchdowns. Then, right after catching my very first pass in a local all-star game, I spun around, and one guy grabbed me by my knee and another tackled me up high. I twisted like a pretzel. My knee exploded. I tore my MCL, or medial collateral ligament. The bad news about an MCL injury? It's as painful as can be. I was screaming on the ground. My teammates' faces froze with fear. I was carted off the field. The good news? As painful as it is, the MCL injury isn't nearly as serious as tearing an ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament.
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Tony's stats
Six-time Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs, with career totals of 570 catches for 6,905 yards and 54 touchdowns in eight seasons.
One of ESPN's "World's Sexiest Athletes"
Host of a new Spike TV series, "Super Agent," to premiere in July.
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I thought I had thrown everything away that I had worked for. But the rehab process took less than two months, far less than the nine months an ACL tear usually requires.
By now, I'm used to MCL injuries. Since that first one, I've torn it two times in my right knee and one time in my left. But thanks to interaction with doctors and trainers, I'm more aware of my body now. I'm the type who will, after an injury, push it a bit too hard. My doctors persuade me to pull back, to avoid making the injury worse. Doctors can lead you in the right direction; it's up to you to follow through.
I've also learned from guys I've played with, such as Warren Moon and Marcus Allen. They played forever at the highest level. Actually, they didn't do much weight lifting. But they worked out all the time. They taught me that there's no off-season if you want to last. I've seen players gain 20 pounds in the off-season. The human body isn't designed to have those weight fluctuations. I'm dedicated year-round and will likely continue to be long after I'm finished with football.
So, what's my routine? My main focus is the core muscles in the abs, thighs and, frankly, my backside. That's where all the body's power comes from. I'm going to do 300 sit-ups on any given day. I'll do 150 throws with a heavy medicine ball -- from the chest, from the side -- whatever mirrors the kind of movements I make on the field. I'll do 50 jumps on crates every day; exercises like that prepare my body for explosive movement. I will lift, but just some bench presses and squats, to concentrate on areas that need to remain healthy, strong and powerful. Yeah, I'll do some curls, too, but really, big guns don't mean much on the field. It's more for show.
I don't even recall seeing Marcus lift a weight, but he stretched all the time. Now I'm addicted to stretching. It prepares your body for so much shock. I stretch for 20 minutes a day.
But it's about more than exercise. Proper nutrition will always be a part of my life. I'm eating lots of fruits and vegetables -- organic whenever possible -- and teaching my 4-year-old son, Nikko, to do the same. Man, we don't need kids eating all this processed, packaged stuff. Jack La Lanne, the fitness legend, did the Arli$$ show with me, and he told me, "If man makes it, don't eat it."
And I'm always reading books about how your mind-set affects your energy level. All the people who have been role models for me have always had an upbeat view of life. If you're taking care of the mind and body, you'll get the whole package.
Go to top
Hey, guys, see your doctor
SpikeTV urges men to get annual checkups.
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NFL star Tony Gonzalez, 29, an honorary advisory board member of Spike TV's men's health awareness program, Check Up or Check Out, is a strong advocate of maintaining a healthful routine.
"I always get my checkup through football, with a required annual physical," he says. "But this is going to be important to me after football as well. My dad, Joseph Gonzalez, is really good about these things. He sees his doctor all the time, getting his heart and colon checked out."
Cover photograph and beach shot above by Michael Grecco for USA WEEKEND
Grooming by Helen Jeffers, Cloutier. Styling by Xavier Cabrera.
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Preventive maintenance for Tony Gonzales
