Gonzalez has played hero in the past
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star
Yes,
Tony Gonzalez has a knack for being in the right place. By now you know that he recently used the Heimlich maneuver to help save a man who was choking on a piece of steak at a restaurant in California.
But remember in 2000 when Tony G crashed into a photographer named Mickey Pfleger beyond the sideline during a 49ers-Chiefs game in San Francisco?
Pfleger, who was knocked out and then went into a seizure, was taken to a nearby hospital where a CT scan was performed. That CT scan revealed Pfleger had a brain tumor, which was detected in its early stages. Most of the tumor was eventually removed.
That fact wasn’t lost on Pfleger, who said the incident with Gonzalez made him believe that everything happens for a reason.
“I do believe that I was supposed to be knocked out by Tony at that football game,” Pfleger, 58, said by phone from Madison, Wis., where he lives now.
“I went into a seizure after getting hit, I had the CT brain scan, and the tumor was found. I never would have found out about the tumor until maybe it was too late. I then was lucky enough to be put into the hands of a great neurosurgeon. It was all supposed to happen.”
Pfleger said he isn’t surprised to hear of Tony G’s heroics at the restaurant.
“He just seemed like such a caring person,” Pfleger said. “When I was in the hospital back in 2000, he had his sister call the hospital while he was flying back to Kansas City to check up on me. And then later he checked up on me.
“He’s a guy with a lot of concern so, no, it doesn’t surprise me that he would jump in and help someone like he did in the restaurant.”
In 2001, Tony G and Pfleger were reunited for a segment with NFL Films.
Pfleger recalled getting run over by Gonzalez: “When I came home from the hospital after the game I expected some bruises and headaches. But I wasn’t sore.”
That prompted Gonzalez to quip during the interview, “What are you trying to say, that I don’t hit hard?”
Pfleger said that there was a bit of the tumor that could not be removed by surgeons.
“Some of that tumor grew again and I’ve had to go through radiation for that,” he said. “I’ve had problems with my balance and so forth. But I’m hanging in there.”
In this corner…
The Tampa Bay Bucs are still not commenting on the alleged fight that took place between two of its draft picks — former Kansas defensive back Aqib Talib and former South Carolina running back Cory Boyd — last week at the NFL Rookie Symposium.
The fight reportedly took place during one of the symposium sessions on budgets and finances, and came after the two had been jawing at each other most of the day.
Wrote the St. Petersburg Times, “Talib is a terrific talent, but this is a dumb way for him to start his career.”
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