Golden Tate Golden H . Tate III ( born August 2 , 1988 ) is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft . He played college football for the University of Notre Dame , and was recognized as an All - American . Early years . Tate was born in Hendersonville , Tennessee . He attended Pope John Paul II High School where he rushed 140 times for 1 , 413 yards and 23 touchdowns as senior in ' 06 to go along with 28 receptions for 510 yards and six TDs . He also had three interceptions on defense , returned a kickoff for a TD and was the Knights ' punter . He was named an Tennessee Division II first - team all - state pick in 2006 as an athlete by Tennessee Sports Writers Association and also by Tennessee Football Coaches Association . Baseball career . Tate was drafted out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 42nd round of the 2007 amateur draft . Tate did not sign with the Diamondbacks and instead played baseball for the University of Notre Dame . In Tate ' s freshman year at Notre Dame ( 2008 ) , he played in 18 games and batted . 262 with three doubles and three stolen base s . Tate hit his first home run against Louisville in Louisville , Kentucky in his sophomore year . He finished his sophomore season with a . 329 batting average after playing in 55 games . Tate also scored 45 runs his sophomore year which is the third highest by any Notre Dame baseball player . On June 9 , 2010 , he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 50th round ( no . 1518 overall ) of the 2010 MLB Draft , but did not sign . Tate has not competed in baseball since 2009 , his sophomore season with Notre Dame . College football career . Tate played football for Notre Dame from 2007 to 2009 . In the 2007 season as a freshman , Tate started two games , versus the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans . He totaled six catches for 131 yards and one touchdown and averaged 21 . 7 yards on 15 kickoff return s for the season . In the 2008 season as a sophomore , Tate started in 12 regular season games with 52 catches for 903 yards and seven touchdowns for a 17 . 4 yard per catch average . Tate registered 100 - yard games against Michigan , Syracuse , North Carolina , and Pittsburgh during the 2008 regular season , while being tapped First Team All - Independent by Rivals . com . Against the Hawaii Warriors in the Hawaii Bowl , he made six catches for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the 49 - 21 victory for the Irish , bringing his season total to 58 catches for 1 , 080 yards ( 18 . 6 yard average ) with 10 touchdowns . Following the 2009 season , Tate won the Biletnikoff Award . He was also recognized as a unanimous first - team All - American . On December 7 , 2009 , Tate announced that he would forgo his senior year and declared his eligibility for the 2010 NFL Draft . Professional football career . Seattle Seahawks . 2010 season . On April 23 , 2010 , Tate was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round ( 60th overall ) of the 2010 NFL Draft . On July 28 , 2010 , Tate signed a four - year deal with the Seahawks worth $ 3 . 261 million . 2012 season . On August 24 during a week 3 pre - season game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City , Tate returned one punt 92 yards for a touchdown as the Seahawks won the exhibition game 44 - 14 . During the replacement referee controversy at the beginning of the 2012 NFL season , the Seahawks won a controversial game against Green Bay in week 3 , in which Tate pushed off a defender ( Sam Shields ) and was ruled to have caught a game - winning touchdown as time expired , despite Packers ' safety M . D . Jennings arguing that he had also gained possession of the ball . Cold Hard Football Facts claimed otherwise with a shot - by - shot dissection of the play that ultimately showed Tate ' s hand touching the ball briefly with one hand while his other hand holds Jennings wrist as Jennings gained control with both hands . In the frame by frame analysis , Jennings maintianed two hand control while Tate ' s hand comes off the ball and the hand on the wrist moves to the ball . The following day , the NFL acknowledged that a joint catch is awarded to the offense and the touchdown ruling was correct , but offensive pass interference penalty should have been called on the play . In week 10 against the New York Jets , Tate recorded his first passing touchdown to Sidney Rice on a receiver reverse pass . 2013 season . Tate had a breakout season with the Seahawks in 2013 . He made some spectacular plays , notably a one - handed catch against the Atlanta Falcons , that highlighted his athleticism and special abilities . Pete Carroll , the Seahawks coach , said that he would not coach anyone else to do what Tate can do . During Week 7 against the St . Louis Rams , Tate was flagged for taunting following an 80 - yard touchdown reception . Head coach Pete Carroll chastised Tate after the penalty . On November 2 , 2013 , Tate was fined $ 7 , 875 for his taunting penalty . In the final game of the regular season , the Seahawk wide receiver produced one of his best games of the year , recording eight catches for 129 yards and a touchdown against the St . Louis Rams . Again , Russell Wilson threw a deep pass of 47 yards to Tate who caught the ball , and ran it for a touchdown similar to Week 7 , minus the taunt as the Seattle Seahawks beat the St . Louis Rams 27 - 9 . Tate went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII as a member of the Seahawks . Detroit Lions . 2014 season . On March 12 , 2014 , Tate signed a five - year , $ 31 million contract with the Detroit Lions . The deal includes $ 13 . 25 million guaranteed . Personal . He is the son of Golden Tate , Jr . , a former wide receiver at Tennessee State who was the 120th overall pick in the fifth - round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts . His brother , Wesley , was a running back for Vanderbilt University .