Antonio Gandy-Golden
{{Short description|American football player (born 1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Antonio Gandy-Golden
| image = Antonio Gandy-Golden.jpg
| caption = Gandy-Golden with the Washington Football Team in 2020
| current_team =
| number = 10, 11, 18
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|4|11}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 223
| high_school = Paulding County {{nowrap|(Dallas, Georgia)}}
| college = Liberty (2016–2019)
| draftyear = 2020
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 142
| pastteams =
- Washington Football Team ({{NFL Year|2020|2021}})
| status =
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 1
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 3
| statlabel3 = Rushing yards
| statvalue3 = 22
| pfr = GandAn00
}}
Antonio Gandy-Golden (born April 11, 1998) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Liberty and was selected by the Washington Football Team in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Gandy-Golden retired from the NFL after two seasons in order to return to school.
Early life
Gandy-Golden attended Paulding County High School in Dallas, Georgia, where he played wide receiver on the football team.{{Cite web |title=Antonio Gandy-Golden's High School Timeline |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/antonio-gandy-golden/YtgpWiRLEeS00gAmVebEWg/default.htm |access-date=October 9, 2019 |website=MaxPreps.com |language=en}} He was a 2-star recruit according to Rivals.com. Following high school, Gandy-Golden committed to Liberty University over offers from Elon, Mercer, Murray State, Kennesaw State and Samford.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aseaofred.com/2016-verbal-commit-wr-antonio-gandy-golden/|title=2016 Verbal Commit: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden|date=January 12, 2016}}
College career
As a freshman, Gandy-Golden recorded 315 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions.{{Cite web |title=Antonio Gandy-Golden {{!}} Football {{!}} Liberty Flames |url=http://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?pid=36960&TeamID=9&RosterID=12074 |access-date=October 9, 2019 |website=www.liberty.edu}} In his sophomore season, he led the Big South in receptions and receiving yards, also becoming Liberty's seventh 1,000-yard receiver in program history.
In his junior season, Gandy-Golden recorded 245 receiving yards against New Mexico, breaking the school's record. He was a part of Liberty's victory in the 2019 Cure Bowl, the school's first bowl game and his final college game. He finished his career at Liberty as the only player there to post three connective thousand yard receiving seasons. As a student, he pursued a major in graphic design.
=College statistics=
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="15" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Liberty Flames football}}"| Liberty Flames | ||||
| rowspan="2"|Year
! colspan="5"|Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2016
|11 || 21 || 315 || 15 || 3 | ||||
| 2017
|11 || 69 || 1,066 || 15.4 || 10 | ||||
| 2018
|11 || 71 || 1,037 || 14.6 || 10 | ||||
| 2019
|13 || 79 || 1,396 || 17.7 || 10 | ||||
| style="font-weight:bold"
!Total{{Cite web |title=Antonio Gandy-Golden College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/antonio-gandy-golden-1.html |access-date=October 9, 2019 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} !! 45 !! 240 !! 3,814 !! 15.9 !! 33 |
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4
| weight = 223
| dash = 4.60
| ten split =
| twenty split =
| shuttle = 4.55
| cone drill = 7.33
| vertical = 36.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 7
| bench = 22
| arm span = 31 3/4
| hand span = 9 5/8
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |title=Antonio Gandy-Golden Combine Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/antonio-gandy-golden/32194741-4e13-9028-ffdd-34109916cfd5 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |website=NFL.com}}
}}
Gandy-Golden was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 142nd overall pick.{{Cite news |date=April 25, 2020 |title=Redskins' Antonio Gandy-Golden: Washington selects in fourth |work=CBS Sports |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/redskins-antonio-gandy-golden-washington-selects-in-fourth/ |access-date=April 25, 2020}} He signed his four-year rookie contract on July 22, 2020.{{Cite news |last1=Fortier |first1=Sam |last2=Jhabvala |first2=Nicki |date=July 23, 2020 |title=No. 2 overall pick Chase Young signs with Washington |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/22/washingtons-nfl-team-signs-majority-its-draft-picks-not-chase-young/ |access-date=July 23, 2020 |newspaper=Washington Post}} He recorded his first reception for three yards in a Week 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.{{Cite web |last=Gora |first=Kevin |date=September 24, 2020 |title=Antonio Gandy-Golden Debuts In Week 2 Game Versus Arizona Cardinals |url=https://www.aseaofred.com/antonio-gandy-golden-debuts-in-week-2-game-versus-arizona-cardinals/ |access-date=September 26, 2020 |website=A Sea of Red }} He was placed on injured reserve on October 24, 2020, due to a hamstring injury,{{Cite web|date=October 24, 2020|title=Washington Places Saahdiq Charles, Antonio Gandy-Golden On IR; Pulls 2 WRs From Practice Squad|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-places-saahdiq-charles-antonio-gandy-golden-injured-reserve|website=Washington Commanders|access-date=May 6, 2022|archive-date=May 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517203731/https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-places-saahdiq-charles-antonio-gandy-golden-injured-reserve|url-status=dead}} and rejoined the active roster on December 26, 2020.{{Cite web |date=December 26, 2020 |title=Washington Activates WR Antonio Gandy-Golden From Injured Reserve, Elevates QB Steven Montez From Practice Squad |url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-activates-antonio-gandy-golden-injured-reserve-elevates-steven-montez |access-date=May 6, 2022|website=Washington Commanders}}
Gandy-Golden was waived on August 31, 2021,{{cite web|title=Washington Makes Multiple Roster Moves|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-makes-multiple-final-roster-moves|website=Washington Commanders|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=May 6, 2022}} but re-signed to the practice squad the following day.{{cite web |title=Washington Signs 15 Players To Practice Squad |url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-signs-15-players-to-practice-squad |website=Washington Commanders |access-date=May 6, 2022 |archive-date=March 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308235831/https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-signs-15-players-to-practice-squad |url-status=dead }} He was elevated to the active roster for the game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.{{cite web | title=Washington elevates WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, T David Steinmetz | website=Washington Commanders | date=2021-10-16 | url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-elevates-wr-antonio-gandy-golden-t-david-steinmetz | access-date=2024-12-31}} He was signed to the active roster on October 23.{{cite web|title=Washington downgrades Shaka Toney to OUT, signs WR Antonio Gandy-Golden from practice squad|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-downgrades-shaka-toney-to-out-signs-wr-antonio-gandy-golden-from-prac|website=Washington Commanders|date=October 23, 2021|access-date=May 6, 2022|archive-date=May 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506234550/https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-downgrades-shaka-toney-to-out-signs-wr-antonio-gandy-golden-from-prac|url-status=dead}} He was waived on January 1, 2022 and re-signed to the practice squad.{{cite web|title=Washington activates multiple players off practice squad|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-activates-multiple-players-off-practice-squad|website=Washington Commanders|date=January 1, 2022|access-date=May 6, 2022|archive-date=May 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506234551/https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-activates-multiple-players-off-practice-squad|url-status=dead}} He signed a reserve/futures contract after the 2021 regular season ended.{{cite web|work=Washington Commanders|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-signs-8-players-to-reserve-future-contracts|title=Washington signs 8 players to Reserve/Future contracts|date=January 10, 2022|accessdate=May 6, 2022}}
Gandy-Golden announced his retirement in July 2022 with plans to return to school.{{cite web|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/commanders-take-chase-roullier-off-pup-list-antonio-gandy-golden-retires|title=Commanders take Chase Roullier off the PUP list, place Antonio Gandy-Golden on the Reserve/Retired list|date=July 28, 2022|accessdate=July 28, 2022|first=Zach|last=Selby}} He was working on switching from wide receiver to tight end that offseason and finished his NFL career recording only one reception for three yards.{{cite web |last1=McCarriston |first1=Shanna |title=Commanders' Antonio Gandy-Golden retiring after two seasons; plans to go back to school, focus on education |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/commanders-antonio-gandy-golden-retiring-after-two-seasons-plans-to-go-back-to-school-focus-on-education/ |work=CBS Sports |date=July 28, 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022}}
Personal life
Gandy-Golden grew up performing gymnastics and juggling, which he attributed to helping him later in football.{{Cite web |last=Keim |first=John |date=September 22, 2020 |title=Backflips and Rubik's Cube: Redskins' Antonio Gandy-Golden does it all |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/washington-redskins/post/_/id/39986/backflips-rubiks-cube-redskins-antonio-gandy-golden-does-it-all |access-date=May 7, 2020 |website=ESPN}} He has also been noted for having several other talents, such as his ability to solve a Rubik's Cube in under a minute and achieving a perfect game in bowling. He also draws, paints, and plays guitar as a hobby.
Gandy-Golden was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020.{{Cite web |last=Middlehurst-Schwartz |first=Michael |date=May 20, 2020 |title=Redskins rookie WR Antonio Gandy-Golden says he was diagnosed with COVID-19, recovered before draft |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/redskins/2020/05/20/antonio-gandy-golden-coronavirus-covid-nfl-draft-washington-redskins-rookie/5228876002/ |access-date=May 20, 2020 |website=USA Today}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- {{Twitter|gandygolden11}}
- [https://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?pid=36960&TeamID=9&RosterID=12074 Liberty Flames bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518185845/https://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?pid=36960&TeamID=9&RosterID=12074 |date=May 18, 2020 }}
{{Redskins2020DraftPicks}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gandy-Golden, Antonio}}
Category:People from Dallas, Georgia
Category:Players of American football from Paulding County, Georgia
Category:Players of American football from Chicago
Category:American football wide receivers