My favorite Notre Dame football player of all time: Golden Tate

Wide receiver Golden Tate had a decorated career for the Notre Dame football team. He’s my favorite Irish player of all time.

Notre Dame football was lucky to have a wide receiver who made an impact as big as Golden Tate.

First off, is there a first name that screams “I should play football at Notre Dame” more than Golden? I don’t think there is, nor will there ever be for the rest of history.

But it’s not just that he has a cool first name. Tate had more than his share of memorable moments on the football field.

Even though Tate was a vital part of the era of Notre Dame football that truly captured my heart, I still find his stats staggering. I would imagine that many forget the true impact that Tate had on the football field.

Serving as one of Jimmy Clausen’s favorite targets, Tate totaled 93 receptions for 1496 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final season in South Bend. And as if that wasn’t enough, he also carried the ball 25 times for 186 yards and 2 more scores.

Tate finished his career with 157 receptions, 2707 receiving yards, and 29 total touchdowns in 3 seasons in South Bend.

But it wasn’t merely his stats that helped Tate make a name for himself. But perhaps one of the most iconic plays of Notre Dame’s 2009 campaign involved Tate. Down 30-26, the Irish were driving in Michigan State territory with a little over 5 minutes remaining. Clausen dropped back to pass and delivered a dime to Tate, who got his foot in bounds and dived Superman-style into the Michigan State band. That play put the Irish up 33-30 and proved to be the final score of the game, propelling the Irish to victory.

Unfortunately for Irish fans, Tate left Notre Dame early for the National Football League, being selected in the end of the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Regardless, without a doubt, Tate is one of the best receivers to ever play for the Irish.