NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez

Enlarge this image toggle caption Jesse Thorn/Maximum Fun Jesse Thorn/Maximum Fun

Tony Gonzalez made football his career, but it could just have easily been basketball. In college, at UC Berkeley, he played both, but in his own distinct way: he played forward sort of like a football player, and he played tight end sort of like a basketball player.

In 1997, Tony entered the NFL draft. Tony played 12 seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, and then another five for the Falcons. He's been to the Pro Bowl over a dozen times.

He ranked in the top five for career receptions, and after he retired was inducted into the hall of the fame in his first year of eligibility.

These days, he's on TV a lot. He's an analyst for Fox Sports, where you'll see him both Sundays and Thursdays.

He's one of the greatest tight ends in history, but it wasn't always easy.

Growing up, he was bullied constantly. His first year in the NFL was so tough he almost called it quits. And throughout his career, he never really felt like he could stand up and address his whole team.

He's very open about his struggles and sacrifices. Tony's got a new podcast where he invites people in business and entertainment to talk about the oftentimes difficult journey to success. It's called Wide Open. It's a show about becoming the best version of yourself, what he calls "leveling up."

We'll talk about his new podcast, wretched middle school days, and he'll open up about his time in the NFL.