Former Notre Dame Star Joins Detroit Lions TV Booth

Follows 11-year NFL career, five of which were played in Detroit

Dec 3, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Detroit Lions helmet during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame football's struggles in recruiting marquee wide receivers lately is well documented, but that hasn't always been the case.

There have been solid receivers over the past decade but perhaps at no time in Notre Dame history did it recruit top-level receivers in back-to-back years like it did in 2007 and 2008 with Golden Tate and Michael Floyd.

Now the 2007 part of that memorable pair is headed to the television booth.

Golden Tate Joins Detroit Lions TV Team

The NFL obviously has national broadcasts for all regular season games but the preseason is up to the teams to come up with their own telecasts.

The Detroit Lions are set to start their three-game preseason slate and when they do, former Notre Dame star and 2009 Belitnikoff Award winner Golden Tate will be behind a microphone for them.

Tate played 11 seasons in the NFL, five of which came with the Lions. Of his 695 career receptions and 46 touchdowns, 416 of his receptions and 22 of those scores came in Honolulu Blue.

The Lions open the preseason with a road game against the New York Giants on Aug. 8. That's followed by a trip to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 17. Detroit's only home preseason game comes Aug. 24 as it plays host to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Excited to covered one of the most exciting teams in the NFL https://t.co/xaSqjcqYH8

— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) August 2, 2024

Golden Tate the Notre Dame Star

Golden Tate only played at Notre Dame for three seasons but after his career it was clear he was ready for the NFL.

Tate put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Notre Dame in 2008 and 2009 and scored 29 touchdowns in blue and gold.

Tate's 2009 is perhaps the best year a Notre Dame wide receiver has ever had. That year's winner of the Belitnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top wide receiver, Tate hauled in 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ran for another 186 yards and two more scores that fall.

Tate's 2,707 career receiving yards at Notre Dame are the second most in program history, trailing only Michael Floyd's 3,686. Floyd was the 2008 part of those back-to-back massive wide receiver recruiting wins for Notre Dame.

Golden Tate's Memorable Michigan State Band Dive

When you haul in 2,707 career receiving yards there are certainly many memorable plays and catches that come to mind.

With Golden Tate however, there is one touchdown celebration that Notre Dame fans recall quicker than any other.

Trailing Michigan State 30-26 with just over five minutes to play in 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen dropped a downfield dime to Tate to give the Irish the late lead. Tate made the over the shoulder grab and immediately jumped into the Michigan State band. Check it out again below.

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