NEW ORLEANS, La. – Kent State Men's Basketball alumnus Antonio Gates has been named an inductee of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class. The class was revealed during the NFL Honors Ceremony on Thursday night.

"What an honor it is to be able to celebrate Antonio's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.", said Kent State Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Randale Richmond. "One of the most elite offensive players of all-time and truly a trailblazer of the tight end position. Antonio really solidified the pipeline potential of dominant college basketball student-athletes successfully transitioning to the NFL. It's an honor for Kent State Athletics to be associated with that level of greatness and accomplishment."

Gates (2001-03) currently sits 19th on the all-time Kent State scoring list with 1,216 career points for the blue and gold. He was a key piece of the 2002 Elite Eight Golden Flashes squad that defeated Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Indiana. During the 2002 season, Gates was named to the All-MAC Second Team after averaging 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. In his final season, he earned AP All-American Honorable Mention and All-MAC First Team honors after averaging 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Gates also earned MAC All-Tournament Team honors in both seasons. Gates' #44 is retired by Kent State Men's Basketball.

After Kent State, Gates played 16 years in the NFL with the then-San Diego Chargers organization, racking up a franchise-leading 11,841 yards, 955 receptions, and 116 touchdowns. Gates 116 receiving touchdowns are also the most by a tight end in NFL history. Gates was an eight-time NFL Pro Bowler, three-time First Team All-Pro, and two-time Second Team All-Pro. Gates was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame in 2023. He is the 10th tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the first since Tony Gonzales in 2019.

Gates joined Jack Lambert as the only two people in the Pro Football Hall of Fame from Kent State.