The legacy of Thom Gatewood within A.J. Dillon.
by G.K.Chesterton (2020-05-08 22:45:39)
Edited on 2020-05-08 22:47:38

A.J. Dillon is a big RB who was just drafted out of Boston College in the second round by the Packers. My reason for bringing this up is because one of the Packers beat reporters did a huge feature story this week on Dillon, which included a lengthy discussion of his grandfather, Thom Gatewood. I am just excerpting the parts that referencing Thom and his career. The picture below was part of the article.

The grandson of Thom Gatewood was born to score touchdowns.

* * *

Whenever Thom Gatewood made the couple-hour drive up to Connecticut, a trip the New Jersey resident took as often as he could, his grandson barely let him out of the car.

Dillon, lugging a football, always greeted his grandfather with the same request. He wanted a game of catch.

No, the kid didn’t have much patience.

“He didn’t want to wait to get to the park,” Gatewood said. “He’d say, ‘Let’s just go right here.’ So I’d get the balls out of the garage, and we would just start throwing in the street. And he would say, ‘Hit me at the next driveway. Hit me at the next driveway.’”

Gatewood saw a skinny kid with long legs and oversized feet running imprecise routes, but loving every moment. Dillon saw Grandpa tossing a football, nothing more.

It wasn’t until later Dillon began to realize how others saw his grandfather. When Dillon was about 10 years old, friends and family gathered at Gatewood’s home. Dillon watched as someone popped in a DVD, highlights from Gatewood’s career at Notre Dame.

A sudden buzz coursed through the room.

“I was like, ‘Wow, these grown adults really admire this guy,’ ” Dillon said.

And for good reason. Gatewood wasn’t just a receiver at Notre Dame. He was the receiver.

In three seasons, two with Joe Theismann at quarterback, Gatewood became the Fighting Irish’s all-time leader in receptions and yards. His record 2,283 receiving yards stood 16 years until Tim Brown, the nine-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer, surpassed him. His 157 career receptions, still tied with Golden Tate for fifth all time, stood for 35 years.

Gatewood was the first African-American captain in Notre Dame history. He played two seasons with the New York Giants, who picked him in the fifth round of the 1972 draft. He peppered Dillon with stories that became folklore, like the time he caught a pass against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, injured his leg during the play, but finished to score a touchdown anyway.

Yes, Gatewood certainly understood more about the game than how to toss a spiral to his grandson. Early on, he recognized Dillon could be special.

“He was a big helmet running with little legs,” Gatewood said, “running up and down the field, and nobody could catch him. He was so good as an inside runner. Nobody could sustain blocks when you’re 9 years old, 10 years old. It’s really hard to do that, because you’re not getting a whole lot of training done. So he always had that ability to get through the hole quickly, and then improvise.”

In Dillon, Gatewood saw bits of himself. Gatewood always kept his pads low as a runner, not long-striding like most receivers. “I ran more like a tight end,” he said. He sees Dillon run the same way — short, choppy but powerful steps, the classic Gatewood gait — and his mind returns to his playing days.

“He runs with people bouncing off of his legs,” Gatewood said, “and I had a lot of bounce-off yardage in my time.”


Also:

Dillon finally left California last week. He arrived in Green Bay on Friday, ready to settle into his new home.

His family can’t wait to join him. Gatewood was pleased to learn of the Packers’ connection to Notre Dame, that founder Curly Lambeau inserted a bit of Fighting Irish flair into the franchise. He’s instantly recognizable in his neighborhood, the man who jogs around wearing his new Packers wardrobe.

“Everybody knows right away,” Gatewood said, “ ‘Oh, yeah. That’s A.J.’s grandpa.’”



Thom Gatewood was a star receiver for Notre Dame.




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