Football superstar Tony Gonzalez wants to be remembered for his giving, not his receiving.

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, Gonzalez was a dual-sport star (basketball and football) at Cal Berkeley before he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997. As a tight end, the six-foot-five, 250-pound Gonzalez combines the brute strength of a lineman and the grace of a wide receiver to both punish and evade opposing players.

Off the field, Gonzalez devotes his time and money to a number of charities, including the Tony Gonzalez Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial support to the Shadow Buddies Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of America. Now 32 years old, Gonzalez admits that early in his career, he was only thinking about himself: “I was going out every night. I was 21, young, single, a millionaire."

Once voted one of the Top 10 Sexiest Athletes in the World, the charismatic Gonzalez shifted his priorities as he matured. He toned down the partying and moved to México during one off-season to learn Spanish. He's now focused on raising his two children. Last year, Gonzalez appeared as a judge on the Oprah Winfrey-backed reality show The Big Give – a title that could easily be Gonzalez's nickname. This summer, he'll appear in The mun2 Hookup.

A future hall-of-famer, Gonzalez insists he was blessed with talent for a reason: "When you are given this athletic ability, you have to make it work for something positive or you are wasting it."

(image by Chris Leon via flickr)

You may have wondered: are they? A little?
Well, yes. Yes, they are.

Ted Williams

Passed away at age 86

Hall of Fame outfielder for MLB's Boston Red Sox. Nicknamed "Teddy Ballgame." Considered the greatest hitter of all time.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Mexican mother and Welsh-Irish father.

Tony Romo

Age: 26

Quarterback for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. A two-time Pro Bowler, Romo once dated pop singer Jessica Simpson.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Mexican father and Polish-German mother.

Gilbert Arenas

Age: 26

Point guard for the NBA's Washington Wizards. Nicknamed "Agent Zero." Cheats at video game Halo 3.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Halfsie: Cuban-American father and African-American mother.

Rod Carew

Age: 62

Hall of Fame infielder for MLB's Minnesota Twins and California Angels. An 18-time All-Star. One of 27 players with over 3,000 career hits.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Fullsie: Born and raised in Panamá.

Scott Gomez

Age: 28

Center for the NHL's New York Rangers. First Latino to play in the NHL. Nicknamed the "Alaskan Assassin." Winner of two Stanley Cups.

Halfsie or Fullsie?

Fullsie: Mexican-American father and Colombian-American mother.

(Additional images by Familie Schmitt and SummerTX via flickr.)

Chicago Bears offensive guard Roberto Garza used to pick cotton as a teenager, seven days a week, for $5 an hour. The 27-year-old now has a street named after him in Texas. The 6-foot-2, 305-pounder who says he got "too fat to play soccer" is one of 19 Latinos in the NFL, a league with almost as many players (1,600) as there are people in his hometown of Rio Hondo, Texas. In a sport where players' identities can get lost in a sea of helmets, Garza's exploits on and off the field have made him a familiar face.

Garza's parents are Mexican immigrants who instilled in their kids a strong work ethic and love of fútbol. But the heavy-set Garza chose football instead. The notion of a Latino football player was so unthinkable in the early 90s that a military recruiter once told Garza, a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, to forget about playing professionally because "there's no Latino players in the NFL." Fast-forward to 2007: Garza is playing in the Super Bowl with the Bears, conducting most of his interviews en Español.

The mild-mannered Garza also works hard off the field, participating in a number of charities, which prompted the NFL to nominate him for the 2006 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Garza is also using his star power to help The United Way, which tapped the bulky lineman to star in one of their TV spots. A celebrity in the Latino community, he also hosts a Spanish-language television show in Chicago, aimed at teaching Latino youth the fundamentals of football. Garza hopes his story can be an inspiration for future Latino football players: "[I]t gives kids hope that someday they can reach their dreams."

Garza's family shares those same deep community roots: they still live in Rio Hondo – on Roberto Garza Drive – where they celebrate "Roberto Garza Day" every 2nd of December.