Brandon Tate facts for kids
Tate with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | October 5, 1987 Burlington, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Cummings (Burlington, North Carolina) |
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| College: | North Carolina (2005–2008) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 3 / Pick: 83 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Brandon Tate (born October 5, 1987) is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). The New England Patriots chose him in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Brandon Tate grew up in Burlington, North Carolina. He went to Hugh M. Cummings High School. There, he was a star in both football and basketball.
In football, he played as a wide receiver, kick returner, and defensive back. During his senior year in 2004, he caught 66 passes and scored 18 touchdowns. He earned All-Conference honors for his great performance.
Brandon also played basketball as a guard. His team won a state championship when he was a junior. Brandon's brother, Barry, also played football in college for four years at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
College Football Career
After high school, Brandon Tate went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He played for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2005 to 2008.
Freshman Year (2005)
As a freshman, Brandon played in all eleven games. He was mainly a kick returner. In a game against the Utah Utes, he returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He finished the season with 542 yards from kick returns and 267 yards from punt returns. He was one of the best returners in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Sophomore Year (2006)
In his second year, Brandon was one of only three players in the country to return two kickoffs for touchdowns. He had an amazing game against Notre Dame, returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Later, against Duke, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. In the same game, he also returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown. This made him one of only a few players in NCAA history to score a touchdown from both a kickoff and a punt return in one game.
Junior Year (2007)
Brandon caught his first career touchdown pass in his junior year. It was a 28-yard catch against James Madison. He also returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown against East Carolina. This was his fifth career return touchdown, tying a school record.
He had over 200 all-purpose yards in games against Wake Forest and Miami. Against Miami, he scored a 54-yard rushing touchdown. Brandon set new ACC records for most all-purpose yards (2,382) and most kickoff returns (98) that season. He led his team with seven touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 479 yards.
Senior Year (2008)
Brandon started his senior year strong against the McNeese State. He returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. He also rushed for 106 yards, becoming the first North Carolina wide receiver to rush for over 100 yards in a game. He set a school record with 397 all-purpose yards in that game.
Against Miami, Brandon set an NCAA record for the most combined kickoff and punt return yards in a college career. He finished his college career with 3,523 total return yards. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury later in the season and missed the final seven games. He ended his college career as the ACC's all-time leader in kickoff returns and kickoff return yards.
Professional Football Career
The New England Patriots drafted Brandon Tate in 2009. He was the 83rd player chosen overall.
New England Patriots (2009–2010)
Brandon started his NFL career recovering from his college knee injury. He played in a few games in 2009 but then got another knee injury, ending his season early.
In 2010, Brandon had a breakout year. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns: a 97-yard return against the Cincinnati Bengals and a 103-yard return against the Miami Dolphins. He also scored his first receiving touchdown, a 65-yard catch against the Minnesota Vikings. That season, he played in all 16 games, catching 24 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 1,057 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots released him in September 2011.
Cincinnati Bengals (2011–2016)
The Cincinnati Bengals picked up Brandon Tate in September 2011. He quickly made an impact, returning a punt 56 yards for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks that October. He re-signed with the Bengals in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he caught his first receiving touchdown as a Bengal, a 44-yard pass from Andy Dalton.
In 2016, Brandon became the Bengals' all-time leader in punt return yards. He was released by the Bengals in August 2016. He left as the team's all-time leader in combined kick and punt return yards, with 4,928 yards.
Buffalo Bills (2016–2017)
Brandon signed with the Buffalo Bills in September 2016 and re-signed with them in March 2017.
New Orleans Saints (2018)
In July 2018, Brandon signed with the New Orleans Saints. He was released before the season started but was re-signed briefly in September 2018 before being released again. He has not played in the NFL since.
