Nate Burleson Nathaniel Burleson ( born August 19 , 1981 ) is a Canadian - born American football player , who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack , and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft . Burleson has also played for the Seattle Seahawks . He is the son of former Canadian Football League ( CFL ) and USFL player Alvin Burleson and the younger brother of former National Basketball Association ( NBA ) player Kevin Burleson . Early years . Burleson was born in Calgary , Alberta , Canada . At the time his father , Alvin Burleson , was playing defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . He was born into a prolific and tight - knit sporting family . His oldest brother , Alvin Jr . , played college football for the University of Washington Huskies and the Western Illinois University Leathernecks . Another older brother , Kevin , plays professional basketball and was formerly a point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . His younger brother Lyndale played college basketball for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack . Kevin and Nate Burleson are one of only two sibling duos in which one brother played in the NBA while the other played in the NFL . As a mark of his father ' s influence , Nate Burleson ' s jersey number on the Seattle Seahawks , 81 , was his father ' s high school number . Burleson was an infant when the family relocated from Canada back to the United States . His father was signed by the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League ( USFL ) for its inaugural 1983 season . However , he remains proud of his Canadian heritage , sporting a maple leaf tattoo and expressing interest in playing for Canada in a World Cup of football to the media . After an injury ended Alvin Burleson ' s playing career , he moved the family to his hometown of Seattle , Washington , U . S . , where he worked for Associated Grocers . Nate Burleson attended Rainier View Elementary School in Seattle . This school was subsequently closed but has been reopened . Burleson began crediting it in NFL player introductions on TV broadcasts in December 2011 . He attended Lindbergh High School in the suburb of Renton as a freshman , and then transferred to O ' Dea High School in Seattle , where he graduated . As a senior , he was named " Seattle Times " City Athlete of the Year . College career . Burleson hoped to attend the University of Washington , his father ' s alma mater , but was not offered a football scholarship . Instead he accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Nevada , Reno and played for the Nevada Wolf Pack . In the 2002 season he made 138 receptions , the second highest in NCAA history . His senior year he led the NCAA in both receiving yards and in receptions per game . During his time at Nevada he made a total of 248 receptions for a total of 3 , 293 yards and 22 touchdowns . He was named first - team All - America by the American Football Coaches Association , All - WAC by the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) , and team MVP , and was named second - team All - America by " The Sporting News " and CNN / SI . He currently holds the WAC and Nevada all - time records for single game receptions with 19 catches . He graduated with a degree in human development and family studies . Professional career . Minnesota Vikings . Burleson was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings , the 71st overall pick . He showed promise during his rookie season , but did not put up great numbers . In his second season , 2004 , Burleson emerged as a threat when fellow receiver Randy Moss injured his hamstring . Burleson was now the go - to - guy for Minnesota . He put up strong numbers and reached 1 , 000 receiving yards for the first time in his career . Not only a great receiver , but a standout special teams player as well , Burleson is the only player in NFL history to have three punt returns of 90 or more yards . Seattle Seahawks . On March 24 , 2006 , Burleson signed a seven - year $ 49 million offer sheet to play with his hometown Seattle Seahawks . In retribution for the Vikings signing an offer sheet with former Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson , the Seahawks put clauses in Burleson ' s offer sheet which made it virtually impossible for Minnesota to match ( similar to what the Vikings did with Hutchinson ) . The offer sheet stated that the entire $ 49 million would be guaranteed if Burleson played five games , in one season , in the state of Minnesota , or if his average per year exceeded the average of all running back s on the team combined . The Vikings play eight home games a year in Minneapolis , and at the time of the offer sheet , the team spent far less than $ 7 million per year for its entire running back corps . On the other hand , Seattle was spending over $ 7 million a year on just one of its running backs ( Shaun Alexander ) . The Vikings had seven days to match the offer sheet but declined to do so . Minnesota received Seattle ' s third - round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft ; Seattle , however , received no compensation for the departure of Hutchinson . On September 7 , 2008 , Burleson tore a ligament in his knee in Seattle ' s season opener against the Bills . He was put on injured reserve for the remainder of the season . Detroit Lions . During the early hours of the NFL free agency period on March 5 , 2010 , Burleson agreed to a five - year $ 25 million contract with the Detroit Lions . Burleson will be reuniting with his former offensive coordinator , Scott Linehan , with whom he had his best season of his career in 2004 , when he caught 68 passes for 1 , 006 yards and nine touchdowns while playing for the Vikings . Personal . Burleson is married to his wife Atoya . They have two sons . After signing with the Lions , Burleson has given himself the nickname " Recepticon , " keeping with the Transformers - themed nickname " Megatron " established for fellow receiver Calvin Johnson .