Former Cal Stars Tony Gonzalez, Alex Mack on Falcons' All-Decade Team
Neither tight end Tony Gonzalez nor center Alex Mack started his NFL careers with the Atlanta Falcons, but both former Cal stars did enough in Falcon uniforms between 2010 and 2019 to be named to the Falcons' all-decade team over the summer.
Gonzalez is in the Hall of Fame, and Mack, who is still active and still a starter for Atlanta, has an outside shot of becoming the seventh center to be inducted into the Hall.
Twice named the top offensive lineman in the Pac-10 while at Cal, Mack was a first-round selection of the Cleveland Browns in 2009, and he played his first seven NFL seasons in Cleveland.
Mack scored a touchdown in the 2011 Pro Bowl:
The Falcons signed Mack as a free agent following the 2015 season, and he has started all 72 games the Falcons have played since he arrived. That includes five playoff games and the first three games this season. Overall he has started 88 consecutive NFL games, including the last 16 with Cleveland.
Mack has been named to the Pro Bowl six times, including three times while with the Falcons.
Here is what the Falcons said about their all-decade center:
A major acquisition for the Falcons prior to their 2016 Super Bowl run, Mack's presence was felt immediately and has been very important ever since. Mack has started every game for Atlanta since joining the team, and he has been named to the Pro Bowl three times during his four seasons with the Falcons.
Gonzalez spent only five of his 17 NFL seasons in Atlanta, but he was still an easy choice as Falcons' all-decade tight end.
His 1,325 career receptions are the most ever for a tight end and third among all receivers, behind only Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald. Gonzalez is one of just two former Cal players to be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame, the other being linebacker Les Richter.
A first-round pick in the 1997 NFL draft, Gonzalez spent his first 12 NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Falcons acquired Gonzalez during the 2009 NFL Draft when the Chiefs traded him to Atlanta for a second-round draft pick in 2010.
That turned out to be a steal, as Gonzalez was a Pro Bowl selection in four of his five seasons in Atlanta, and was a first-team All-Pro pick in 2012. The last of his 14 Pro Browl selections came in 2013, which was also his final pro season. That year, at the age of 37, Gonzalez caught 83 passes for 859 yards and eight touchdowns while starting all 16 games.
The only time in his final 15 NFL seasons that Gonzalez was not named to the Pro Bowl was 2009, which was his first season with Atlanta and before the decade of the 2010s began.
The Falcons said this about Gonzalez regarding his all-decade selection:
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Gonzalez ended his illustrious career with the Falcons. Gonzalez became a crucial part of Atlanta's offenses early in [Matt] Ryan's career, helping teach the young quarterback both on and off the field. A Pro Bowler in each of his four seasons with the Falcons this decade, Gonzalez caught 326 passes for 3,320 yards and 29 touchdowns.
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