Former Notre Dame football star Golden Tate transitioning to different sport
Before he played 11 years in the NFL, Golden Tate heard his name called twice in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Now, the former Notre Dame star is getting back in the game.
Tate is playing in the West Coast League after missing last year’s NFL season. He played baseball in high school and as a freshman at Notre Dame. Ultimately, he stuck with football — and now he’s putting his baseball spikes back on as a member of the Port Angeles Lefties.
“I am extremely thankful to the West Coast League and the Port Angeles Lefties for allowing me to join their league,” Tate said in statement. “As some might know, I was drafted twice in baseball. As a child, my first love was baseball, so I’m excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best young players in the league. I look forward to having a lot of fun and exploring baseball more.”
More on Golden Tate, the West Coast League
Tate was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007 before enrolling at Notre Dame. Then, three years later, the San Francisco Giants drafted him after the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played for the Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants during his career in the league before failing to make a roster in 2021.
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As a football player, Tate is a former four-star recruit and was the No. 45 player in the country from the Class of 2007, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. But as a baseball player, Tate played in 73 games over two years with the Fighting Irish and batted .318 over that time. He also hit a home run and totaled 21 RBI in 2008 and 2009.
The West Coast League is a collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest. It has 16 teams, and some MLB players got their start in the league. Former Arizona State star Seth Martinez was the league’s Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and made his major league debut with the Houston Astros in 2021.