Golden Tate was absolutely amazing in 2009. So amazing, he is now a Consensus All-American. 2009 was as magical a year for Tate statistically, as it was frustrating for both the team and the fans alike.
Was Golden Tate the best wide receiver to ever play under the Golden Dome? That question is certainly debatable, as Notre Dame was blessed with the talents of former wide receiver, Jeff Samardzija, and Golden’s now former teammate; Michael Floyd.
Debatable, but when you look at the stats and the accolades it turns into a one man show… which is what Golden Tate looked like at times this year.
This is what Golden Tate did in 2009:
- 25 carries for 186 yards and 2 TD’s
- 93 receptions for 1496 yards and 15 TD’s (124.7 ypg)
- 12 punt returns foe 171 yards and 1 TD
This is what he was rewarded with:
- 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner for the nations top wide receiver
- 1st team AP All-American
- 1st team AFCA All-American
- 1st team FWAA All-American
- 1st team Sporting News All-American
- 1st team WCFF All-American
Add it all up, and that equals Golden Tate being the first offensive Consensus All-American from Notre Dame since Aaron Taylor and the first overall since cornerback Shane Walton.
Notre Dame will certainly miss Tate in 2010 as he enters the NFL draft with a year of eligibility remaining in college. When Notre Dame needed a big play on offense, more times than not, Jimmy Clausen found Golden Tate.
I could sit here and go on and on about Tate, but you watched him. You saw his greatness. You screamed, “Golden Muthafucking Tate!” as he continued to make play after play. I just want to say, Thank-you to Golden for not only his play on the field, but the style and attitude he played with for the past 3 years.
Most of you have already seen this video, but it is worthy of another replay. Trust me…
