Gonzalez and his wife October were having dinner at a restaurant in Huntington Beach, Calif., on July 3 when a fellow diner, Ken Hunter, started to choke.

Gonzalez, though untrained in rescue techniques, promptly administered the Heimlich and managed to dislodge the bite of steak stuck in Hunter's throat.

"Tony saved my life, there's no doubt," Hunter said. "I tried to take a drink of water, but I couldn't swallow. Then I couldn't breathe. That's a terrible feeling."

Gonzalez said he just relied on natural instincts in applying the compression technique he'd only watched but had never attempted.

"I had seen it done, so I just did it," he explained. "When you find yourself in a situation where you have to take action, you just do it."

Gonzalez, the NFL leader in career receptions among tight ends (with 820), has been involved in one other prospective life-saving situation, though the previous one was unintentional.

It happened in 2000 during a Chiefs loss in San Francisco when Gonzalez bowled over a sideline photographer, Mickey Pfleger, who was knocked out and began to experience a seizure on the field.

It was only after Pfleger was taken to the hospital for an MRI that a brain tumor was discovered. The resulting surgery may have saved his life.

Gonzalez earned a fan for life in Pfleger after his repeated inquiries about his well-being. He just earned another California friend in Hunter, an admitted lifelong fan of the San Diego Chargers.

"I'm Tony's No. 1 fan now," Hunter said. "I think all my friends will understand."

CAMP CALENDAR: The Chiefs will leave for their 18th camp in River Falls, Wis., a commuter community of the Twin Cities, on Thursday, July 24. They will conduct their first practice on Friday, July 25. The highlight of camp will be a joint workout with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday, Aug. 1 during which Jared Allen will work against his former teammates. The Chiefs will break camp on Friday, Aug. 15, before their second preseason game.

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