Former NFL Receiver Golden Tate Joins Summer Baseball League

Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Tim Tebow and now… Golden Tate?

The club of NFL athletes to try their hand at professional baseball is growing, this time with former wide receiver Golden Tate joining the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League.

“I am extremely thankful to the West Coast League and the Port Angeles Lefties for allowing me to join their league,” Tate said in a statement provided by the league. “As some might know, I was drafted twice in baseball. As a child, my first love was baseball, so I’m excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best young players in the league. I look forward to having a lot of fun and exploring baseball more.”

Like the Tom Brady’s and John Elway’s of the world, Tate is among a laundry list of future NFL stars who were drafted in high school and/or college by MLB teams. Tate, who played two seasons of baseball at Notre Dame, was taken in the 42nd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007 and the 50th round by the San Francisco Giants three years later. Both times he chose not to sign before eventually being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Tate played 11 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Seahawks and making one Pro Bowl as a member of the Detroit Lions. He’ll turn in the receiver gloves for a baseball mitt and play centerfield for the Lefties on Tuesday night.