Golden Tate and one of college football’s most iconic celebrations
-
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
Golden Tate spent more than a decade as a receiver in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl. He appeared in a Pro Bowl. He made a winning touchdown catch in the playoffs.
For everything he did on a football field, it was an impromptu decision as a Notre Dame player 15 years ago on this day that might stand out from the rest.
“It’s something I’ll never be able to forget,” he said.
The internet will not let him.
“It pops up every year,” Tate said. “It’s one of the main highlights of all time, which I had no clue it was gonna happen.”
Tate, of course, is referring to a spectacular catch in the end zone to give Notre Dame a fourth-quarter lead at home against Michigan State on Sept. 29, 2009. But it’s not exactly the score that has been memorialized in college football history. After making the catch, Tate proceeded to leap — arms extended as if to motion for a touchdown — headfirst into the Spartan Marching Band in what can only be remembered as one of the most iconic spur-of-the-moment celebrations of all time.
Did I do thaaaaatttt ??? (steve urkle voice) 🤓😂 https://t.co/f15zHYfCr5
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) July 1, 2020
In what was eventually Charlie Weis’ final season as the Irish head coach, Notre Dame had just suffered a disappointing upset loss to Michigan the previous week. Michigan State had also lost the previous week, against Central Michigan, and was led by a redshirt sophomore quarterback named Kirk Cousins, whose only win as a starter had come two weeks earlier against FCS Montana State.
For Weis, a loss to that Michigan State team would have been an irredeemable sin. It all added to the gravity of the moment when quarterback Jimmy Clausen dropped back to pass, trailing 29-26 with just over five minutes to play.
After more than 65 yards in the air, the ball dropped perfectly into Tate’s outstretched hands and the rest Tate can relive as if it happened in slow motion.
“I didn’t even realize the band was there,” he said. “I was able to catch it, get my feet in and then my body clock was telling me I had to be getting pretty close to the end of the end zone.”
A careful analysis of the footage shows Tate took about three steps before he encountered the wall of band members. Impact was unavoidable.
“I can’t remember what the little girl played — I don’t know if she had like a little trombone or a flute or a clarinet or something — I see this little girl like right in my line and I know I couldn’t stop, so I’m going to destroy her [if I kept going],” Tate said. “And I got on full on gear. So, quickly I think, ‘OK, well if I just jump and land on all of them, everyone wins.’ I don’t want to completely hit-stick this little girl who’s in the band.
“They catch me and it’s a win-win. And I probably looked really cool doing it.”
Except Tate’s plan had an undiagnosed flaw.
“Little did I know, this marching band skedaddled out of there so quickly and all that was left to land on were these plastic chairs,” he said.
The adrenaline staved off any physical pain, leaving Tate more concerned about how it might have looked to a national TV audience.
“I go from, ‘This is gonna be cool,’ to now, ‘I probably look like an idiot.’ I was gonna jump in the band and now I just landed on a bunch of chairs,” Tate said.
Somehow, all of this happened in less than four seconds.
“They could have probably hit me with their instruments,” Tate said. “Someone could have poured a beer on me and I would’ve never noticed, because I was so locked into the game and had tunnel vision. I would have never known.”
Weis didn’t see the leap as it happened, but later had one critique.
“It was the wrong band,” Weis said.
Tate doesn’t remember why the band was that close to the field in the first place, but the response was a predictable one for college football.
“Michigan State fans and alumni sent Notre Dame a bunch of emails of their disapproval of me jumping into their band,” Tate said. “Which I thought was kind of hilarious.”
Archived message board conversations have preserved the opposing fan overreaction, some of which painted the moment as some kind of overarching referendum on Tate and Notre Dame:
-
“It would be one thing to run into your own band, but what G. Tate did was unclassy.”
-
“It looked somewhat intentional to me. I hope [MSU coach Mark] Dantonio raises a stink about it.”
-
“The more I see of ND this season the less I respect them and Weis.”
The touchdown stood as the game-winner, and the bigger conversation after the game was more about what effect the result had on Weis’ job security.
“It’s a big win for Notre Dame, it’s not a big win for Charlie Weis,” Weis said after the game.
It was the first of a three-game winning streak that saw the Irish climb back into the AP Top 25 before falling apart late in the season. Weis was eventually fired two days after the season ended and replaced by Brian Kelly.
Fifteen years later, Tate’s leap is appreciated for the entertaining moment it was, and it holds a special place in Irish lore. It has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, and it continues to be discussed on online platforms. A few years ago, it was even memorialized in a Notre Dame children’s coloring book created to help Notre Dame fans help pass the time during remote schooling.
“Being a part of history from such a prestigious and traditional university is like pretty special,” Tate said. “It was my honor to represent the university for the years I was there and now to be just part of the history books. Not only for I guess my celebrations, but also for my play.
“Now that I think about these stories or retell these stories, they seem a lot better than they were back then because I guess that was just my life. And now it’s like, ‘Man, that was really cool.'”
-
Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
MIAMI — Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to reach the 50/50 club on Thursday, and he did so in dominant fashion — with three home runs and two stolen bases in a six-hit game that led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 20-4, postseason-clinching victory.
Ohtani opened the game with a line-drive double off the wall in right-center field against Miami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, then picked up his 50th steal of the season by swiping third base. A second-inning single was followed by stolen base No. 51. Ohtani then added a two-run double in the third — before getting thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple — and followed with a 438-foot home run into LoanDepot Park’s second deck in the sixth for his 49th home run.
Ohtani came to bat again with runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh inning, prompting many to wonder whether the Marlins would pitch to him. They did — and Ohtani delivered, taking a 1-2 curveball from Mike Baumann and lofting it over the fence in left-center field for his 50th home run of the season.
Ohtani roared as he made his way up the first-base line, then stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call after celebrating with teammates. He then giggled as he made his way back into the first-base dugout the next half-inning — after clobbering a 440-foot home run off Marlins infielder Vidal Brujan.
Ohtani’s three homers, six hits and 10 RBIs all set new career highs. The 10 RBIs set a Dodgers record. He became the first player with three home runs and two stolen bases in a game since at least 1900 and the first player since RBIs became official in 1920 with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in a game. Ohtani also became the second player since at least 1901 with six hits in a game, including five for extra bases, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The man who secured a 40/40 season with a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 23 had found another way to reach history in grand fashion.
The best part: The Dodgers’ convincing victory secured them another playoff spot. For Ohtani, it will be his first. The two-way star has played in 866 games without reaching the postseason, the most among active players.
Soon — officially — that will come to an end.
-
Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
With Quinn Ewers still recovering from an oblique injury, Arch Manning will make his first start for No. 1 Texas on Saturday night against UL Monroe, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
“Quinn has made great strides ever since Saturday night into where he’s gotten to,” Sarkisian said. “But my decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us. … And getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term, I think, is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play.”
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Manning, the top prospect in the Class of 2023, has appeared in four games for Texas but had his breakout last week in a 56-7 win over UTSA after Ewers was injured.
Manning, who entered in the second quarter, accounted for five touchdowns. His 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo and his 67-yard touchdown run — the longest ever by a UT freshman — marked the first time in school history that a player recorded a run and throw of at least 65 yards in the same game. Only Colt McCoy and Vince Young had done it in the same season for Texas.
Sarkisian said Manning always prepares as if he could start, but it’ll be different operating the game plan from the opening series rather than just being thrown into the fire.
“Arch is more than capable, as I think we all know,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, you go out and you have five touchdowns coming in off the bench, you’ve already proved you can play. Now, it’s about executing the plan, doing it with confidence and fixing some of the issues on the field when they arise.”
Sarkisian said Ewers will be there to help Manning with any of those issues.
“Quinn will obviously have an earpiece in. He’ll hear every play call,” Sarkisian said. “Without question, his support of Arch is critical, and I don’t foresee anything different than that.”
“All the goals [Ewers] had and that we’ve had for him coming into this season are all still there for him. I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he’s the quarterback of that team. And I think we still have that in front of us to go do that. … This guy’s going to be in New York for the Heisman … and I think he has the ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian
Sarkisian said he impressed upon Ewers that resting a week doesn’t change anything. The Longhorns play their first SEC game on Sept. 28 against Mississippi State. After a bye week, they have back-to-back games against No. 15 Oklahoma in Dallas and No. 2 Georgia in Austin.
Ewers is completing 73.4% of his passes this season, throwing for 691 yards and eight touchdowns, with two interceptions.
“All the goals he had and that we’ve had for him coming into this season are all still there for him,” Sarkisian said. “I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he’s the quarterback of that team. And I think we still have that in front of us to go do that.
“I think with some of the games that we have coming up down the road, this guy’s going to be in New York for the Heisman. And whether he wins it or not, he has the ability to do that, and I think he has the ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick.”
ULM’s defensive coordinator, Earnest Hill, raised eyebrows Wednesday when he referred to his team’s familiarity with Manning, a New Orleans native who attended Isidore Newman for high school.
“We actually have some kids on our team who played against him in New Orleans, and a couple guys done beat him already,” Hill said. “So they don’t hold too much fear against him. They’re not going to hold any fear against him coming up here.”
The Longhorns are 44.5-point favorites for Saturday’s game, according to ESPN BET.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports6 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports11 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Environment1 year agoTesla advances Powerwall pilot project with German electric company