Nate Burleson facts for kids
Burleson working for NFL Network in 2015
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| No. 14, 81, 13 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver / Return specialist | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | August 19, 1981 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | O'Dea (Seattle, Washington) | ||||||||||
| College: | Nevada (1999–2002) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 3 / Pick: 71 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Nathaniel "Nate" Eugene Burleson (born August 19, 1981) is a Canadian-American TV host and sports commentator. He used to be a professional football player. Nate played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was an amazing college player for the Nevada Wolf Pack. In 2002, he was named a first-team All-American.
The Minnesota Vikings picked Burleson in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions. Today, Burleson works for Paramount. He co-hosts CBS Mornings and covers football for CBS. You can see him on The NFL Today and even on Nickelodeon. He was also a reporter for Extra and co-hosted Good Morning Football on NFL Network. Nate has even been on rap songs using the name New Balance. In 2025, he will host a new version of the game show Hollywood Squares.
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Early Life and Family
Nate Burleson was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His dad, Al Burleson, played defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders. Nate comes from a very athletic family. His older brother, Alvin Jr., played college football. Another older brother, Kevin, played professional basketball for the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA. His younger brother, Lyndale, played college basketball. Nate and Kevin are one of only two pairs of brothers where one played in the NBA and the other in the NFL. Nate wore jersey number 81 for the Seattle Seahawks. This was his father's high school number.
In 1983, Nate's family moved to the United States. His dad played for the Los Angeles Express. Nate is still proud to be a Canadian citizen. He even has a maple leaf tattoo! After his dad's football career ended, the family moved to Seattle, Washington. Nate went to Rainier View Elementary School. He later went to Lindbergh High School and then O'Dea High School. As a senior, he was named the Seattle Times City Athlete of the Year.
Nate was also a great track and field athlete. He won the state title in the 300-meter hurdles in 1999.
College Football Journey
Nate really wanted to go to the University of Washington. This was his father's old school. But he didn't get a football scholarship there. Instead, he accepted a scholarship from the University of Nevada, Reno. He played for the Nevada Wolf Pack.
In 2002, Nate had an amazing season. He made 138 receptions, which was the second-highest in NCAA history. He led the NCAA in receiving yards and receptions per game that year. During his time at Nevada, he caught 248 passes for 3,293 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was named first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association. He also holds records for most catches in a single game for his conference and team. Nate earned a degree in human development and family studies.
Playing in the NFL
Nate Burleson was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2003 NFL Draft. He was the 71st player picked overall.
Minnesota Vikings
Nate showed a lot of promise in his first year. In his second season (2004), another receiver, Randy Moss, got injured. This gave Nate a chance to become the team's top receiver. He had a great year, getting over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time. Nate was also very good at special teams. He is the only player in NFL history to have three punt returns of 90 yards or more!
Seattle Seahawks
In 2006, Burleson signed a big contract to play for his hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks. The contract was worth $49 million over seven years. The Seahawks made it hard for the Vikings to match the offer. This was because the Vikings had signed a former Seahawks player.
On September 7, 2008, Nate tore a ligament in his knee. This happened in the first game of the season. He had to miss the rest of that year. Burleson holds the Seahawks team record for most punt return yards in one season (2007). He also holds the career record for punt return yards for the team.
Detroit Lions
In 2010, Burleson signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Detroit Lions. He joined his former coach, Scott Linehan, who he had worked with in Minnesota. In 2011, Nate won an award for being friendly with the media. On September 24, 2013, Nate broke his forearm in a car crash. He was trying to save a pizza from falling in his car. The Lions released him in February 2014.
Cleveland Browns
In April 2014, Burleson signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. However, he was released by the team in August of that year.
Broadcasting Career
Nate Burleson started preparing for a career in broadcasting in 2012. After he stopped playing football in 2014, he became an analyst for the NFL Network. In 2015, he also worked as a commentator for the Detroit Lions' preseason games.
In 2016, Nate became a co-host of Good Morning Football on NFL Network. In 2017, he joined the NFL on CBS team as a studio analyst for The NFL Today. He continued to co-host Good Morning Football at the same time. Nate has won two Sports Emmy Awards for being an amazing studio analyst. He even correctly predicted the exact score of Super Bowl LVII! He also guessed that Patrick Mahomes would be the MVP.
Working with Paramount
In 2021, Burleson started doing more work with CBS. He was a commentator for an NFL Wild Card game on Nickelodeon. He also hosted the reunion show for the first season of The Challenge: All Stars on Paramount+. By August, CBS named Nate a co-anchor for CBS Mornings. He works alongside Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil. He also continued to host NFL Slimetime on Nickelodeon. Nate co-hosted the 2023 Kids' Choice Awards with social media star Charli D'Amelio.
Personal Life
Nate Burleson is married to Atoya. They have two sons and a daughter named Mia. Mia sometimes appears on NFL Slimetime! Nate has also rapped on songs by Wizdom under the name "New Balance."
Images for kids
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Nate Burleson playing for the Seattle Seahawks in 2009.
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Nate Burleson with the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
