Gates, Saban cross paths for first time since Mich. St.

[BAMAPHIN 22]

As the story goes, Nick Saban refused to let Antonio Gates play hoops as well as football at Michigan State, which is why the player went on a roundabout journey that took him within one victory of the Final Four and then to quick fame as an NFL tight end.

The part about Gates' journey is true. But as it turns out, Saban wasn't being a bad guy.

"I've always let guys play two sports," said Saban, whose Miami Dolphins visit Gates' San Diego Chargers on Sunday. "If they're that good of a player, Id rather have them playing two sports than not have them at all."

Saban recruited Gates to play football at Michigan State in 1998, and Gates, a prep star from Detroit, understood he'd be allowed to turn out for both football and basketball. But, Saban said this week, Gates' grades weren't good enough as a freshman to allow him to play both.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/nfl/12/08/roundup.ap/index.html

 

[miabrown23]

thanks that was a good read

 

[ckparrothead]

It's hard to be told that you won't be the best at something you love so much...and a lot of these tight ends and DEs their first love is basketball. It looks like Saban tried to tell him he was too short to be a successful basketball player but just right to be an awesome tight end of defensive end. Now Gates discovers that in actuality he couldn't compete in basketball but in the NFL he's like the best TE out there...so obviously now he's got to be like, dang you were right.