Kenny Tate

Kenny Tate (born May 15, 1990) is a former professional gridiron football defensive end. He signed as undrafted free agent by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2014. He played college football at the University of Maryland as a safety, wide receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle, and linebacker. He was a highly touted college prospect and considered one of the best interscholastic players in the nation.

Early life Tate grew up in Forestville, Maryland with parents Kenneth and Michelle Fields. He first played football at the age of six as a running back for the Peppermill Pirates and started playing basketball that same year. Tate attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he played both sports. As a sophomore in 2005, he recorded seven rushing and four receiving touchdowns. As a junior, Tate rushed and received for more than 300 combined yards and seven touchdowns, and also recorded one kickoff return touchdown and two punt return touchdowns. As a senior, he recorded 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns, 48 tackles, and four interceptions. The Associated Press named him a consensus all-state player three times, and The Washington Post named him an All-Metro player three times.

Rivals.com rated him a four-star prospect, the 23rd-ranked wide receiver in the nation, and fourth-ranked player in the state of Maryland. Scout.com also rated him a four-star prospect and considered him the 16th-ranked receiver nationally. ESPN placed him at number 134 in the ESPNU 150, which consisted of the best players in the nation from the 2008 recruiting class. SuperPrep assessed him as the third-ranked player in the Mid-Atlantic region. but decided before his senior year that he would play the former in college. He narrowed his final choices to Illinois, Maryland, and Penn State. Ultimately, Tate chose Maryland over Illinois, whose offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, a former Terrapins running backs coach, had much success recruiting in the Baltimore–Washington area. Tate said, "I felt it was the best fit for football and academics." He told The Baltimore Sun, "One [reason] of course is that it’s close to home. Parents, family members and friends can come see me play. The football program is on the rise, academics are one of the best, so I can’t go wrong there." After his freshman season, he said, "I don't think a lot of the players around here think about playing at Maryland . . . I love it here and it's close to home. I don't regret my decision at all."

College career

2008 season Before the start of the 2008 season, head coach Ralph Friedgen moved Tate to safety due to a lack of depth at that position. Friedgen admitted apprehension with the decision because he had recruited Tate as a wide receiver and did not want to hurt his credibility as a recruiter. The switch moved him from a position with an abundance of talented players to one that allowed significantly more game action. As a converted wide receiver, he possessed sure hands, a valuable attribute for a defensive back. Friedgen said,"He is really a phenomenal athlete and he really has tremendous hands. He made some plays the other day that were like, 'Whoa,' going up and catching the ball with one hand. He is a pretty good man-cover guy for a guy who is 6-3, 220 pounds. He plays on the slots, and Coach James Franklin can’t find the slots because he covers them up so well." Tate served as the backup kick returner behind Torrey Smith and punt returner behind Danny Oquendo. Wide receiver Oquendo said of Tate, "He's a great guy and he's a freak athlete. But he’s not cocky."

Tate had one assisted tackle each against Delaware and Middle Tennessee, and two solo tackles against California. In that game, he recorded a career-high three tackles. He also had two solo tackles in that game. Despite ten potential starting wide receivers on the Maryland roster, Tate said that did not factor into his decision to remain on defense. He said that he had only played as a receiver for three years in high school, while he had been playing defensive positions his entire life.

He entered the 2009 season as the backup to senior strong safety Jamari McCollough and backup punt returner to Tony Logan. Safeties coach Kevin Lempa and defensive coordinator Don Brown said Tate would see a significant amount of playing time at various positions: safety, linebacker, defensive end, and cornerback. Tate received high praise during and after the summer, and The Baltimore Sun called him one of the "August standouts", alongside wide receiver . Head coach Friedgen called his camp performance "sensational", while Maryland quarterback Chris Turner said, "Kenny is a problem. His instincts are so advanced, the way he times up the count when he is blitzing and plays in coverage and reads receivers and reads me and the space he covers just with his wingspan alone, it is really impressive to see. It's something else."

2010 season Before the season, The Washington Post considered him a "valuable asset" to second-year defensive coordinator Don Brown's aggressive system. During the game, he compiled a career-high 12 tackles and forced two fumbles, one of which halted a potential scoring drive inside the Maryland five-yard line. For his performance against Navy, the Atlantic Coast Conference named Tate its Defensive Back of the Week. The Football Writers Association of America named him the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and added him to the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. Against 21st-ranked West Virginia, Tate intercepted a pass thrown by Jock Sanders on a halfback option play, and returned it 53 yards. Against Duke, Tate harassed quarterback Sean Renfree and compiled 1.5 sacks, including one that forced a fumble during a drive deep in Maryland territory.

Professional career Tate went unselected in 2013 NFL draft and did not sign with any team during the 2013 season. On January 15, 2014, Tate signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It was announced that the Bombers were having Tate play the defensive end position. He was released on June 17, 2014.

Personal life Tate is studying business at the University of Maryland. During his freshman season, Tate roomed with two other players who saw action in their first year: cornerback Cameron Chism and running back Davin Meggett.