| Golden Tate |
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AS A SOPHOMORE (2009): Speedy two-sport
star who is looking to make transition to baseball, after
a breakthrough 2008 season on the Notre Dame
gridiron (as a receiver and kick returner) ... could
contend for the open starting position in leftfield as
well as the leadoff spot in the lineup ... a left-handed
batter and thrower considered to have "plus" tools in
areas of outfield defense and all around speed, with
raw and developing bating ability but good hand-eye
coordination ... tremendous speed down the base path
out of the left-handed batters box ... consistently timed
at 6.4 or 6.5 seconds over 60 meters ... has good bat
control to execute bunts and slap hits but also has the
hand strength to drive doubles in the gap.
AS A FRESHMAN (2008): Did not participate in
the 2007 Blue-Gold World Series as he participated in
football ... saw action in 18 games, including nine
starts ... batted .262 with three doubles, four RBI and
three stolen bases (in five attempts) ... drew a pair of
walks, executed two sacrifice bunts, but also struck out
10 times ... did not commit an error in 18 fielding
chances, primarily in centerfield ... registered his first
career start on Feb. 23 against Iowa (went 0-for-4)
with a run scored, RBI, stolen base and two walks ...
proceeded to start the next three games and hit .727
(8-for-11) in the span ... went 3-for-4 with a stolen
base, double and three RBI on Feb. 24 against Albany
... went 2-for-3 with two more doubles, a sacrifice
bunt and two runs scored against Mount St. Mary's on
March 1 ... closed torrid stretch with another three-hit
game versus St. Bonaventure on March 2 (3-for-4,
stolen base and two runs scored) ... remained in the
everyday lineup for four more games (Boston College,
Maine, Lehigh and Texas A&M Corpus Christi), but
struggled from the plate going hitless in 17 plate
appearances ... only made one start the rest of the
season (March 26 against Wisconsin-
Milwaukee) ... came off the bench with
two hits, two RBI and a run scored
against Georgetown on March 20.
FOOTBALL (2008): Played in all 13
games and started seven ... blossomed
into one of the most improved wide
receivers in the country ... led the Irish
in receptions (58), receiving yards
(1,080), receiving touchdowns (10) and
total touchdowns (11) ... ranked tied for
83rd in the NCAA FBS in receptions per
game (4.46), 28th in receiving yards per
game (83.08), 22nd in total receiving
yards (1,080) and tied for 16th in
receiving touchdowns (10) ... among
players with at least 4.46 receptions per
game, he ranked second in the NCAA
FBS with a 18.62 per reception average
... became the fifth Irish wideout (sixth
time) to ever eclipse 1,000 yards in a
single season ... 58 receptions tied for
seventh-most in school history, 1,080
receiving yards ranked fifth, 10
touchdown receptions ranked tied for
sixth and five 100-yard receiving games
ranked tied for third ... registered 15
catches of at least 30 yards ... eclipsed
185 all-purpose yards in six games ...
recorded 1,754 all-purpose yards (thirdmost
in Notre Dame history), the most
by an Irish player since Tim Brown in
1987.
FOOTBALL (2007): Played in all 12
games and was one of eight freshmen
who started for Notre Dame ... started at
wide receiver vs. UCLA and USC ...
registered six receptions for 131 yards
(21.8 avg.) with one touchdown and averaged 21.7
yards on 15 kick returns ... recorded one kickoff return
for 20 yards vs. Georgia Tech ... brought back a kickoff
34 yards vs. Penn State... had five kickoff returns for the
Irish, bringing in 133 yards vs. Michigan ... recorded
long return of 40 yards, a career high ... recorded four
rushing yards vs. the Wolverines ... recorded three
kickoff returns for 62 yards vs. Michigan State ... had
breakout game vs. Purdue ... recorded a team game
high 104 yards on three catches ... made long catch of
the day on a pass from Evan Sharpley for 43 yards ...
caught 25-yard pass from Sharpley for an Irish
touchdown ... recorded one kickoff return for 14 yards
vs. the Boilermakers ... made first career start
(becoming the fourth freshman to start in 2007) at
UCLA ... had one kickoff return for 18 yards vs. Boston
College ... made one reception vs. USC for 22 yards ...
recorded one kickoff return for 16 yards vs. Navy ...
logged 28:51 of playing time and 97 special-teams
appearances.
PREP & PERSONAL: Drafted by Arizona
Diamondbacks' scout and former Notre Dame player
Matt Haas (who picked Tate in the 42nd round of the
2007 MLB draft) ... one of nation's top football
prospects who saw his senior baseball season at Pope
John Paul II HS end in late March, due to thumb injury
... shifted to track and field team at end of 2007 spring
semester and posted top qualifying times in 100-
(10.93) and 200-meter dash (22.33) ... suffered
hamstring injury near end of state 100-meter final and
was unable to compete in 200 (or 800 relay) ... his
younger brother Wesley was third-seed in the 200
(22.53) and finished as runner-up (22.59) ... the Tate
brothers - who both made their first appearances in the
state track meet - had combined with Darrell Wallace
and Tyler Peoples to post the state's top qualifying time
in the 800-meter relay (1:30.28) ... his junior-year
baseball season in 2006 included all-region, all-state and
all-county honors as a centerfielder while being named
to TBCA Region Showcase Team (at Middle Tennessee)
and Team Tennessee squad that competed at Sunbelt
Classic (in Oklahoma) ... played 2006 summer ball with
Columbia Post 19 ... named USA Today second team
All-American in football as a senior in 2006, also
earning a #11 ranking on ESPN's listing of nation's top
prep players ... earned state player of the year honors in
2006, after rushing for 1,413 yards (23 TDs) and
making 28 receptions (510 yds; 6 TDs), plus three
interceptions and a kickoff TD (he also was the Knight's
punter, with season-long boot of 62 yards) ... rushed for
1,041 yards as a junior (14 TDs), adding 38 receptions
(812 yds; 11 TDs) and three TDs on kick returns ... his
father, Golden Tate, Jr.,was a receiver at Tennessee State
and fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1984
... joins ND baseball program that features five all-time
monogram winners from Tennessee ... inherits #32
jersey worn previously by RHP Jess Stewart ... born
Aug. 2, 1988, in Nashville,Tenn. ... his brother,Wesley,
is a three-sport star (football, basketball, track) who has
received interest from college football programs (he
currently is a senior at Pope John Paul II HS) ... also
has 12-year-old twin sisters, Breanna and Deanna ... son
of Golden and Yolanda Tate ... full name is Golden H.
Tate III ... enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters,
majoring in sociology.
Tate's Career Statistics
| Year | G-S | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | HP | SO | SF/SH | SB-SBA | OB | SLG | AVG |
2008 | 18/9 | 42 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0/2 | 3-5 | .295 | .333 | .262 |
| Totals | 18/9 | 42 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0/2 | 3-5 | .295 | .333 | .262 |
