In Pete Carroll's first draft with the Seattle Seahawks after coaching at USC, he opted for Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate in the second round. In 2010, the Seahawks went 7-9, upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in an NFC wild card game. Tate recorded a respectable but mostly inconsequential 21 catches for 227 yards. In 2014, Tate caught a career-high 64 passes for 898 yards and won a ring. But Tate says that Seattle lowballed him in contract negotiations, so he signed a five-year deal to play opposite Calvin Johnson for the Detroit Lions. ThePostGame caught up with Tate at the annual Sports Spectacular, a charity event in Los Angeles that helps raise money to fight childhood obesity.
ThePostGame: You just came off a Super Bowl victory but are going to the Detroit Lions now. What are you looking forward to about next season?
GOLDEN TATE: I'm looking forward to catching more passes, for one, and helping that team grow into what Seattle is. I think we have a lot of talent -- a ton of upside -- so I'm excited to help those guys grow into what Seattle is and be that for a long time. I know the fan base has been waiting on something special to happen for a long time.
TPG: Are you looking forward to lining up opposite Calvin Johnson?
TATE: Absolutely. I see us being a dangerous combination along with some other guys on the team. I looked up to Calvin before I even came into the league. To be able to play with him and learn from him is going to be something special. He's a great guy, man, so I'm excited.
TPG: How do you look back on the time that you spent in Seattle?
TATE: I had a great time, man. It was probably the four best years of my life. I was with those guys from my 7-9 season to winning the Super Bowl, so I was there when everything was bad and then when we were on top of the world. That’s something I'll always remember. I really loved being coached by [Pete] Carroll -- and the whole organization -- I just really loved being a part of it. I'm still a Seattle fan when they're not playing the Lions.
TPG: There are some guys on the Seahawks who really aren't afraid to speak their minds. The one that comes to mind for me is Richard Sherman. How do you feel about that personality on the team?
TATE: I think what makes Seattle Seattle. They have a bunch of different personalities. They're not teaching those guys to be robots. I don't think there's anything wrong with anything Sherman said as long as he's doing his job, being productive ... Don’t get it wrong. Richard Sherman is just very, very, very intelligent. He knows what he's talking about, and he's always going to be prepared. He's a great athlete, and I really do think he's the best cornerback in the league.
