Golden Tate Wins Biletnikoff
Notre Dame junior wide receiver Golden Tate became the first Golden Domer to win the Biletnikoff Award on Thursday night winning the award over Texas’s Jordan Shipley and Bowling Green’s Freddy Barnes. Tate, Notre Dame’s record setting receiver, was also named to the Walter Camp All American team – the first Irish player to make the team since Shane Walton in 2002.
Tate, who earlier this week announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, blossomed into one of the most dynamic receivers in Notre Dame history this season while setting Notre Dame records for receptions (93) and receiving yards (1,496) and tying the Irish record for receiving touchdowns (15). Tate’s stats were enough to rank him 3rd nationally in yards per game with 124.7 and 7th in catches per game with 7.75.
Stats aside, Tate was most impressive this season in the absence of sophomore Michael Floyd who missed five and a half games due to injury. Unlike in 2008 when Floyd got hurt at the end of the season and Tate struggled with the extra attention placed on him, this season Tate thrived with Floyd on the sidelines. Charlie Weis found ways to get the ball in Tate’s hands and the now NFL bound receiver responded with one of the most memorable seasons an Irish receiver has ever had.
Tate’s two most dominating performances came against Washington and Stanford. Against the Huskies, Tate almost single handily won the game for the Irish with 9 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown with another 31 yards on the ground. Tate’s helicopter spin near the goaline in overtime will also go down as one of the more memorable plays in recent Notre Dame history. Against Stanford, Tate was just as dominating with 10 catches for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Tate came up with some plays that will not soon be forgotten this season as well. At the end of the first half against Washington State Jimmy Clausen launched a Hail Mary into the endzone from midfield with Tate coming down with the acrobatic touchdown grab amid a sea of Cougar defenders. In this year’s showdown with USC, Tate hauled in another long bomb from Clausen to get the Irish back into the game just when it looked like USC was about to pull away.
Notre Dame fans are going to truly miss Tate and his playmaking ability next season even though the Irish will still have a group of very talented young receivers on the roster. Tate came to Notre Dame as a high school running back and will leave as one of the most electrifying players ever to suit up for the Irish and will be mentioned with the likes of Rocket Ismail and Tim Brown. And here are some highlights from Tate’s 2009 season to prove it.
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Tate is the first Notre Dame receiver to win the Biletnikoff although Jeff Samardzija was a two time finalist for the award in 2005 and 2006.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
if he stayed for another year, he could have been legendary. oh well
What an incredible year Tate had! Hopefully Michael Floyd will win the Bilitnikoff next season. He sure has a chance to win it and both I think will be great NFL players.
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Justice has been done! Congrats Golden! You certainly deserve this honor…
Havent really posted much this year but definately props to golden. I havent seen an ND guy do those things since rocket was tearing up teams. He was bush-esque in my opinion this season with the ball in his hands. You’re not gonna be in the heisman talks with a 6-6 record, but I dont think I saw a player as electrifying or gamebreaking as he was this season. I’ll miss watching him next year.
AWESOME!!!
i read somewhere that suh went to ne because he wanted to be a part of the group that reclaimed the ‘blackshirts’ if this doesn’t get recruits wanting to be a part of the notre dame resurgence, i dont know what will.
im so excited, i dont know how im going to be able to wait 8 months for football season to come back!!
Congrats Tate!!!!!
Wow, what a great day for Notre Dame.
Christmas has definitely come early.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!