College: Washington University in St. Louis

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Four years later, his hard work paid off as a WashU commit taking a new path he never imagined.

“Since I started freshman year, I’m [still] not burnt out [on football],” Gates said. “WashU is the best of both worlds [for me]. [It is] laid back football, but it is really good [academically].”

In high school, Gates switched between the defensive end and offensive tackle positions. Being on both sides of the field, his teammates said he was an overall great leader for the team. Brady Nauman, teammate and senior, was close with Gates because they always had each other’s backs.

“We always challenged and went hard at each other,” Gates said. “It made us become better teammates and become better at the game. [My teammates] always pushed me to be better at defense and when I played offense, I made sure to try my hardest.”

Nauman said the dynamic they had was successful because of their end goal: getting better at the game. He said Gates was a great player and he feels like a brother to him. 

Curt Mueller, offensive line coach, said Gates was a great example for the team. Mueller said Gates learned  the team should always be his first priority before his personal benefits. According to Mueller, resilient is a word that best describes Gates. 

“He doesn’t back down from a challenge,” Mueller said. “Switching positions in the middle of the season is [not easy]. He [excelled] in playing [offensive tackle].”

Mueller said Gates is the type of person who had a ‘team first attitude.’ Mueller described Gates as someone who would do anything to help his teammates. 

“[Being a part of a team] is like a family,” Gates said. “You’re with them [for four years] every day, [except] from November to December. It makes me want to [continue] playing football [because of the relationships].”