Antonio Gates quotes:

High school football in Detroit was not easy at all. There were talented players everywhere.

I'd like to be a 5-10, 205-pound running back. I think it's natural for big guys to want to be a little faster.

I try to find out what the guy's strengths and weaknesses are. Like in boxing, I'd be a counter-puncher. Whatever he does well, I try to take advantage of what he doesn't do well.

A dunk is nice because it can create momentum, but it's not as good as scoring a touchdown.

Play more than one sport in high school. If you play, say, football and basketball, you can learn to be physical and you can take those physical aspects of both sports and become better in both sports. Basketball players use some of the same skills football players do and vice versa.

In basketball, I always had a first step. A separation step. That works now, too.

You had to be tough in our neighborhood.

If I had stayed with football in college, I probably would have been a first-round pick.

In high school, every last one of the passing schemes was designed for me.