WR Golden Tate feels fortunate to be a Seahawk

By Liz Mathews

Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate let his performance in the fourth preseason game speak for itself. With five receptions for 79 yards and two impressive punt and kick returns against the Oakland Raiders, Tate posted the best numbers of his professional career.

“I made the team, so at this point, I’m just trying to stay on the team,” Tate said in the locker room after practice Thursday. “I’m just going to keep working and keep trying to get better and keep showing coaches that I can play and I can do things the right way.

“Hopefully each week I’ll be more and more involved and hopefully get into the rotation as an every-down receiver.”

And Tate could very well get that chance this Sunday against the 49ers.

Starting wide receiver Sidney Rice is doubtful to play in the season-opener, still suffering from the sore shoulder that has bothered him the last couple of weeks. “We need to protect him and take care of him so it’s likely he won’t go,” Carroll said on Friday.

Ben Obomanu is expected to start in Rice’s place, leaving Tate as the next option on the depth chart.

“My goal was just to go out there and kind of show myself, the coaches and everyone that I can play this game and I can compete in it and that’s exactly what I did,” Tate said of his performance in the Raiders game. “I think I helped the Seattle Seahawks come away with a win, and that’s kind of what I’m used to.

“I felt like coaches talked about ‘what are you going to do? Are you going to be present or make an impact?’ So I wanted to make an impact.”

>>>Listen to Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate

But Tate has always made an impact — most notably, off the field.

Between the Top Pot doughnut debacle where Tate was accused of helping himself to a late-night snack, and the negative NASCAR backlash from his “car-drivers-aren’t-athletes” tweet, Tate has managed to draw a significant amount of attention to himself.

Selected in the second round in the 2010 draft, Tate wasn’t active for the first game of the season, benched before he got the chance to start.

“I knew the thought was there,” Tate said of the possibility of failing to make this year’s final roster. “It was always there, I didn’t really worry about it too much. But I knew it was a possibility. Especially in the NFL, a lot of things can happen — they can bring in guys and let go of guys — so I kind of didn’t know.

“I just wanted to stay focused on what I can control, because I really can’t control that. So I think that is what I did that week, and I think I had a decent game. I let my performance speak for itself.”