Gonzalez named Celebrity Sports Grand Marshall

The City of Huntington Beach announced Friday that Huntington Beach

native Tony Gonzalez, an All-Pro tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs,

has been selected as the Celebrity Sports Grand Marshall for the 9th

annual Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade.

In the off-season, Gonzalez resides in Huntington Beach.

“Tony and his family have long ties with the City of Huntington Beach,

and it’s wonderful that they are involved in our upcoming 4th of July

celebration,” said Patricia Stier, Chair of the Fourth of July Executive

Board. “Tony’s grandmother (83-year-old Helen Smith) celebrates her

birthday on July 4th, and she has celebrated with the City of Huntington

Beach for many years.

Three years after his graduation from Huntington Beach High, the Kansas

City Chiefs selected Gonzalez as a first round pick in the 1997 NFL

draft. That season, 6-foot-4, 250-pounder made his mark with a standout

rookie campaign that earned him the club’s prestigious Mack Lee Hill

Award.

During the 1998 season, his second in the NFL, Gonzalez ranked second

with the Chiefs with 59 receptions, 621 yards receiving, and two

touchdowns. He closed out that season with a blistering December,

recording 20 catches for 233 yards in four games.

His star continued to rise last year as Gonzalez had 76 catches, 849

yards receiving, and 11 touchdowns.

That performance led to Gonzalez’s being named tight end on the Sporting

News NFL All-Pro Team, and a spot in the Pro Bowl, which was played last

January in Hawaii.

Gonzalez, the first Chiefs tight end to be selected to play in the game,

caught a touchdown pass.

Although Gonzalez is best known for his play on the football field, he

also is a skilled basketball player. He earned All-CIF status in both

sports while at Huntington Beach High, then played both sports at the

University of California (Berkeley). During his final year at Cal, he

helped lead the Golden Bears into the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA

Tournament.

In football, Gonzalez played 33 games in three seasons and became just

the second tight end in Cal history to earn first team All-American

status.

When he’s not playing football, Gonzalez, who attended Iosjiro Oka School

and Sowers Middle School - both in Huntington Beach, runs the Tony

Gonzalez Foundation, which raises money for his “Shadow Buddies”

organization, as well as the Boys and Girls Club.