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Catch these locals during the 2021 NFL season

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The 2021 National Football League (NFL) season and all its glory has just kicked off.

Reaching the highest level of America’s most popular sport is no easy feat, but a handful of athletes with deep ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have done just that, from Lutz to New Tampa to Wesley Chapel and in between.

Here’s a closer look at local NFL players to keep an eye on, as the gridiron season unfolds throughout the fall and winter:

Former Lutz Chiefs star Nelson Agholor is primed for a productive season with the New England Patriots. (Courtesy of New England Patriots media relations)

Nelson Agholor, New England Patriots wide receiver
Local tie: New Tampa native/Lutz Chiefs/Liberty Middle School
Skinny: Nelson Agholor is coming off one of his most productive seasons in his six-year NFL career, hauling in 48 receptions for 896 yards and eight scores with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

The 6-foot, 198-pound Agholor penned that output into a two-year deal worth up to $24 million with the New England Patriots.

Since entering the league in 2015 as a first round (20th overall) draft choice, the now 28-year-old has become a household name, compiling a combined 272 receptions for 3,411 yards and 26 touchdowns (and winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018).

Before launching his pro career, Agholor was making highlight-reel plays as a dual-threat quarterback for the Lutz Chiefs youth football organization, while attending New Tampa’s Liberty Middle School. He would emerge as one of the nation’s top football prospects at Tampa’s Berkeley Preparatory School and then an All-American at the University of Southern California.

Vernon Hargreaves III, Houston Texans cornerback
Local tie: Wharton High School
College: University of Florida
Skinny: Vernon Hargreaves III has re-upped with the Houston Texans on a one-year deal following a noteworthy 2020 campaign where he appeared in 16 games and registered 72 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and seven passes defensed.

Former Wharton High star Vernon Hargreaves III is a cornerback for the Houston Texans. (File)

A change of scenery to the Lone Star State seems to have done the 26-year-old favors, since being waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers midway through the 2019 season.

Hargreaves, 26, was originally taken in the first round (10th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the hometown Bucs.

But he didn’t quite live up to the hype, battling injuries, allowing big plays and regularly being targeted by opposing offenses due to his youth and smaller stature at 5-foot-10, 204 pounds.

Hargreaves starred at Wharton High School.

In 2012, he was named the Class 8A Defensive Player of the Year and the Guy Toph Award winner as Hillsborough County’s top senior football player, after he registered 110 total tackles, five interceptions, five passes defensed and five forced fumbles.

The accolades continued at the University of Florida, where he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, and consensus All-American and All-SEC selection.

Wesley Chapel native Tre’ McKitty is gearing up for his NFL rookie season as a tight end with the Los Angeles Chargers. (Courtesy of Los Angeles Chargers media relations)

Tre’ McKitty, Los Angeles Chargers tight end
Local tie: Wesley Chapel native/South Pasco Predators/Wesley Chapel High School
Skinny: Tre’ McKitty heads into his rookie campaign months after being a third round pick (97th overall) of the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Though he had what some consider a quiet training camp, the Chargers have expressed optimism about his long-term traits as a pro-style blocking tight end and physical mismatch for linebackers and defensive backs, as he measures 6-foot-4, 246 pounds.

Working in his favor is the ability to pick the brain of Chargers starting tight end Jared Cook, a two-time Pro Bowl selection embarking on his 13th NFL season.

McKitty grew up playing youth football for the Land O’ Lakes-based South Pasco Predators (while attending Pine View Middle School), and played varsity football and basketball his freshman year at Wesley Chapel High School.

From there, McKitty transferred to Tampa Catholic High School and then Bradenton’s IMG Academy, where he established himself as one of the nation’s top tight end prospects in the 2017 recruiting class, with over 30 NCAA Division I FBS scholarship offers. He played major conference college football, first at Florida State University, then the University of Georgia.

Gaither High product Amani Oruwariye enters his third year with the Detroit Lions, as a defensive back. (File)

Amani Oruwariye, Detroit Lions, cornerback
Local tie: Gaither High School
Skinny: Amani Oruwariye enters his third season with the Detroit Lions, where he’s tasked with learning the intricacies of a fresh defensive scheme under new head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The 25-year-old is primed as one of the Lions starting outside cornerbacks, following a consistent 2020 season where he played in all 16 games, registering 52 total tackles, one interception and seven passes defensed; and opposing throwers completed 55% of their passes when throwing his way for three touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound corner also exhibited some versatility to his game, playing over 100 snaps in the slot.

Prior to living out his NFL dreams, Oruwariye was a three-year letterman at Gaither High School under former head coach Jason Stokes, and finished his career with 121 tackles and 12 interceptions combined.

Senior year he was named team MVP, earned first-team all-district honors and was invited to play in the Hillsborough County All-Star Game. Various recruiting services ranked him a three-star prospect and top-100 recruit in the state.

Oruwariye went on to earn multiple All-Big Ten Conference honors at Penn State University, then was selected in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Lions.

He is believed to be the highest NFL draftee to come out of Gaither, where he graduated in 2014.

Former Wharton High standout Auden Tate is a reliable pass-catching target for the Cincinnati Bengals. (File)

Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver
Local tie: Wharton High School
Skinny: Auden Tate has certainly made the most of his opportunities for the Cincinnati Bengals since being a seventh-round draft pick in 2018 — hauling in a combined 58 catches for 760 yards and a touchdown across 28 games in three seasons.

On the whole, the 24-year-old has carved out a role as a reliable rotational receiver for the Bengals, advantaged by his large 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame, wide catch radius and aptitude for making acrobatic catches.

Tate now looks to rebound from a 2020 season where he missed seven games, in part due to a season-ending shoulder injury to repair a torn labrum.

The athlete prepped at Wharton High School, moving to the Tampa area as a 10th-grader from South Carolina.

Following a strong junior campaign where he posted 49 receptions for 815 yards and five touchdowns at Wharton, Tate went on to become one of the nation’s most coveted receiver prospects with offers from 20 Division I schools before ultimately signing and starring for Florida State University in 2015.

As a testament to the axiom that hard work pays off, Tate was once cut from his middle school team in South Carolina.

Other notable local products:

  • Pasco High School/University of Florida product Joey Ivie IV (defensive end) was waived by the Buffalo Bills.
  • Gaither High School/Florida International University product Alex McGough (quarterback) was waived by the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Gaither High/Alonso High/University of Miami product Anthony Chickillo (defensive end) retired after six NFL seasons, most recently with the Denver Broncos.

Published September 15, 2021

Sports agency in Lutz building reputation, clientele

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When conjuring up an image of a sports talent agent, the mind might wander to a sharp-tongued individual donning an expensive suit, wheeling deals and barking orders from an expensive downtown high-rise in Los Angeles, Miami or New York.

Think movies and television shows like “Jerry McGuire,” “Ballers,” and “Arliss.”

DNA Sports Management is a boutique sports agency firm situated off of State Road 54 in Lutz. The firm primarily represents professional football and hockey players. (Courtesy of DNA Sports Management)

But, David Walkowiak and Andre Kirwan aim to defy that stereotype. They operate a boutique sports agency firm out of Walkowiak’s law office, off State Road 54 in Lutz.

Walkowiak and Kirwan partnered around 2014 to form DNA Sports Management, a full-service sports agency that primarily works with professional football and hockey players.

Kirwan jokes the firm’s name sometimes gives the impression the duo is in an entirely different line of work — with people frequently asking if it’s a medical tech company.

The DNA moniker takes on multiple meanings.

For one, it ties in the first initial of Dave and Andre.

And, like the biological DNA, the firm asserts the tagline: “With You for Life.”

It also signals the team is available to help their clients even after their athletic career — providing guidance into the public and private sectors.

They’ve helped clients break into coaching and scouting, have written law school recommendations, and have helped another launch a rap career and establish contacts in the music and entertainment industry.

They regularly assist with housing issues, financial literacy, athletic training programs and are just there, sometimes, to lend an ear.

“We stay with these guys, whether they’re making millions of dollars or nothing, because we take this seriously,” Walkowiak says.

Kirwan asserts the firm’s priority is “do the right thing by players and not compromise integrity.”

In essence, Kirwan and Walkowiak are on call  24/7, Kirwan says.

“It’s just a matter of when life happens, so when they need us, they need us,” he says of DNA’s athletic clientele. “We’re taking calls on weekends, on evenings. If they had a bad practice, they’ll call us for a pep talk, so really, we’re family. We tell the parents, ‘We’re an extension of you…’”

David Walkowiak

Modest beginnings
DNA Sports started from humble beginnings.

The very first negotiated deal was on behalf of a player for the Triangle Torches, a little-known and now defunct professional indoor football team based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.

It was far from a headline-grabbing, multimillion dollar deal.

League players made around $150 per week and were given a couple food vouchers.

Now, the pair is working with several athletes who’ve gone on to have stints or extended action in both the NFL and CFL.

A new addition to the DNA roster is former USF record-breaking quarterback Quinton Flowers, who plays in the Fan Controlled Football league. Flowers also enjoyed stints with the Cincinnati Bengals (2018), Indianapolis Colts (2019) and XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers (2020).

Another familiar face is former USF outside linebacker Nigel Harris. The former Hillsborough High standout is now on the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders negotiation list and has previous experience with the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.

Walkowiak estimates DNA Sports has represented “close to 100 players” since its inception. He  acknowledges many initial signings were reaches to have a legitimate shot in the pro football ranks, coming from the Division II and NAIA collegiate football ranks.

With time and experience, the firm now can be more selective with its client list.

“I think we learned a lot in the early years,” Walkowiak says. “We realized it’s not quantity. It’s not that you just sign everybody and hope one sticks, you know, it’s that we want to be a boutique agency, and one that really caters to all the needs.”

The firm has gone global to procure talent, too.

DNA Sports in November tabbed three Russian hockey player prospects to contracts — defenseman Artur Karmashkov, goaltender Ivan Veremchuk, and center Yuri Zholobov, respectively.

Karmashkov and Veremchuk have played in the KHL, the Soviet Union’s equivalent of the NHL, while Zholobov has had action in the Czech Republic’s premier professional leagues.

The signings were made possible with the help of former Tampa Bay Lightning winger Alexander Selivanov, the agency’s Director of European Scouting/European Agent.

Andre Kirwan

Further beefing up its ice hockey portfolio, DNA Sports recently hired Adam Bennett,  the No. 6 overall pick in the 1989 NHL Draft, to an advisory role.

Bennett, who bounced around professional leagues for six years, including playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers, will be consulting primarily Florida-based hockey talent, helping them latch on with junior teams, colleges and so on.

The numbers guy
Walkowiak and Kirwan each bring their own set of unique backgrounds and experiences to the sports management firm.

Walkowiak is a self-professed “geek that loves numbers,” and describes himself as “the guy behind the scenes.” He previously worked closely with the Lightning’s former ownership group led by Henry Paul and Phil Esposito, assisting on tasks like arbitration, trades and player contract evaluations.

His career feats include facilitating the trade of then forward Jason Bonsignore and handling the arbitration case of then goaltender Daren Puppa.

On negotiating player contracts, Walkowiak calls the process “very similar to doing a comparative market analysis in real estate.”

With a passion for sports growing up and hockey in particular, Walkowiak “always wanted to be an agent.”

A practicing attorney since 1997 who specializes in real estate law, circuit civil and family law, Walkowiak figured he’d revisit this dream knowing pro athletes have landed larger and larger deals in recent years.

The tipping point came when Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog in 2013 signed a seven-year contract extension worth $39 million.

The report piqued Walkowiak’s interest.

Someone he never heard of was now “making Wayne Gretzky money,” he said, referring to arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, who retired in 1999.

Former USF record-breaking quarterback Quinton Flowers is one of the Lutz-based sports agency’s more prominent clients. (Courtesy of University of South Florida Athletics Department)

“For a period of about 15 years, to go from the greatest player that ever played the game, to almost the same amount of money for a guy that I had never heard of,” Walkowiak says. “I wanted to revisit that.”

The mentor
Kirwan, meanwhile, takes on more of the role of relationship-builder and athlete mentor. He often reminds clients and others to “stay humble, stay hungry and prayed up.”

Kirwan was a decorated athlete in his own right. He played nearly nine seasons with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, where he won a Grey Cup Championship as a starting wide receiver in 1997. He even had an NFL training camp stint with the San Francisco 49ers after graduating from Stanford University.

Kirwan understands the importance of an agent being forthcoming, and transparent, with athletes.

He once had to fire an agent from a high-profile firm for lying to him about sending his highlight film to NFL teams who’d expressed interest at the height of his CFL career. It could’ve been what Kirwan needed to break into the NFL at the time.

Kirwan often ponders if he would have been better served by a smaller, more personable firm like DNA Sports.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table now.

“The No. 1 question I’d always ask an agent when I was interviewing them was, ‘Who else do you represent?’ and a lot of times you go for the shiniest objects, the biggest names and that’s what I ended up doing,” Kirwan explains.
“In essence, I should’ve gone to a boutique firm like us that really fought for my cause. Having had to fire an agent for lying to me, it’s even that more personal to me to do what we say we’re going to do,” he said, noting athletes are placing their futures in the firm’s hands.

Keeping momentum
So, what does the future holds for DNA Sports?

Perhaps the firm will venture into additional professional sports, such as basketball, soccer or track and field.

“We’re not opposed to branching out,” Kirwan says, but, “we don’t want to be a jack-of-all trades and a master of none.”

Whatever path they take, Kirwan and Walkowiak are bullish on the agency’s future prospects.

“It’s just a matter of time before we start having those first-rounders, those second-rounders,” Kirwan says, referring to top-flight NFL Draft prospects.

Says Walkowiak: “We’re excited. We have a lot going on. We’ve picked up quite a bit of traction lately.”

For information on DNA Sports Management, visit DNASportsManagement.com, email , or call 813-962-3176.

Published February 24, 2021

Check out these locals in 2020 NFL training camps

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Like other sports organizations, the National Football League (NFL) has succumbed in some way, shape or form to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The league already has scrapped its preseason games, and training camps have a much different look — all taking place at team facilities without fans and visitors.

With myriad health and safety precautions in place, America’s most popular sport has insisted on a full 16-game regular season. A full set of playoffs also will take place.

Whether fans will be allowed into stadiums for regular season games remains largely up in the air, however.

Some franchises plan to proceed with limited capacities. Others have said they will go forward without fans in the stands.

At least one team — the Las Vegas Raiders — has officially announced it plans to play the entire 2020 season at its brand-new $1.84 billion stadium with no fans.

Moreover, dozens of NFL players have voluntarily opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus or other unspecified reasons.

However this unique 2020 season shakes out, you can bet on seeing several pros take the field with deep ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area — by way of Lutz, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and Dade City, respectively.

Here’s a closer look at those locals suiting up as NFL training camps ramp up, with hopes of making a team’s final 53-man roster or 16-man practice squad by the league’s Sept. 4 cut date.

Las Vegas Raiders wideout Nelson Agholor is a Lutz Chiefs football alum. He spent the past five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. (Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles media communications)

Nelson Agholor, Las Vegas Raiders, wide receiver
Local tie: Lutz Chiefs

The 6-foot, 198-pound veteran pro wideout is embarking on his sixth NFL season — his first with the Raiders after spending his entire career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a Super Bowl in 2018.

Before he became a household name registering a combined 224 receptions for 2,515 yards and 18 touchdowns in his pro career, Agholor was making highlight-reel plays as a dual-threat quarterback for the Lutz Chiefs youth football organization, while attending New Tampa’s Liberty Middle School.

Agholor would go on to become one of the nation’s top football prospects at Tampa’s Berkeley Preparatory School and then an All-American at University of Southern California. He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round (20th overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Agholor, 27, doesn’t forget his football-playing roots. During the 2015 NFL offseason, he made an appearance at a Lutz Chiefs practice at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, speaking to players about the bonds and life lessons formed in youth football.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Anthony Chickillo spent his freshman and sophomore years at Gaither High School. (Courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers media communications)

Anthony Chickillo, New Orleans Saints, linebacker
Local tie: Gaither High School

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound linebacker has seemingly lived up to expectations since entering the league as a sixth round pick (212th overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2015 NFL Draft, out of the University of Miami.

After spending his entire career in the Steel City, the 27-year-old now takes his talents to New Orleans, where he’ll compete for a backup defensive role after signing as a free agent in March.

Altogether, Chickillo has played in 65 regular season games with nine starts, while also being a core contributor on special teams for Pittsburgh. He’s recorded 89 career tackles, 7.5 sacks for loss, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries; he’s also played in four postseason contests.

Before launching into the game’s highest ranks, a younger Chickillo could be seen disrupting opposing quarterbacks on Friday nights at Gaither High School.

Chickillo played at the local school his freshman and sophomore seasons in 2008 and 2009, before transferring to Alonso High School and shaping up into a five-star prospect boasting more than 40 college scholarship offers.

His sophomore season at Gaither, Chickillo tallied 77 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He also spent time as a tight end and offensive lineman on the team.

Chickillo in March 2017 visited his old stomping grounds, giving the Gaither football program a pep talk in the midst of spring football practices.

Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is a Wharton High School alum. (Courtesy of Houston Texans media communications)

Vernon Hargreaves III, Houston Texans, cornerback
Local tie: Wharton High School

Since being a first round pick (11th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft, the hometown kid has had a somewhat underwhelming pro career — criticized for allowing big plays and becoming one of the most targeted corners by opposing NFL offenses. The 25-year-old corner has been somewhat injury prone, too, including a hamstring tear, groin strain and shoulder labrum tear between 2017 and 2018.

But, a new environment outside of Tampa Bay seems to be serving him well.

The 5-foot-10, 204-pound Hargreaves was waived by the Bucs in the middle of the 2019 season, then picked up by the Texans, where he tallied 21 tackles and two passes defensed in six games and two starts; he was re-signed by the Texans in March.

Hargreaves starred at Wharton High School. In 2012 he was named the Class 8A Defensive Player of the Year and the Guy Toph Award winner as Hillsborough County’s top senior football player, after he registered 110 total tackles, five interceptions, five passes defensed and five forced fumbles.

The accolades continued at the University of Florida, where he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, and consensus First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC selection.

Athletes run in the Hargreaves family. His younger sister, Chanelle, was a standout on the University of Florida volleyball team. His father, Vernon Jr., was a two-time All-American linebacker at the University of Connecticut and is a longtime Division I assistant football coach, presently a defensive line coach at Howard University in Washington D.C.

Pasco High School product Joey Ivie has played for five different NFL franchises, and currently is in the Tennessee Titans training camp. (File)

Joey Ivie, Tennessee Titans, defensive end
Local tie: Pasco High School

The 25-year-old Dade City native is now in his fifth different NFL franchise since being taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (228th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-3, 301-pound defensive lineman has spent much of his pro career on various practice squads, but now seeks a larger role as a backup within the Titans 3-4 defensive scheme.

Thus far, Ivie has played in eight career NFL regular season games; his two career tackles came as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.

In addition to the Titans, Cowboys and Chiefs, Ivie also was a member of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, respectively.

Before starring at the University of Florida and later reaching the NFL, Ivie shined as a multisport athlete at Pasco High School, where he graduated in 2013.

The Pirates football team, then coached by Tom McHugh, went a combined 36-3 and captured three district titles in the three seasons Ivie spent on varsity. Ivie’s best season came as a senior — where he racked up 89 tackles, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles in 12 games.

A defensive end by trade, Ivie was also utilized as a fullback and tight end while in a Pirates uniform. His younger brother, Andrew, also starred at Pasco High and briefly played football at Florida before an injury ended his playing career prematurely.

Ivie’s late sister, Jordan, passed away in 2015, a month before she would have graduated high school, due to injuries sustained in a car accident in Dade City. Ivie has said he uses her memory as motivation and has shared these moments on social media.

Houston Texans reserve quarterback Alex McGough prepped at Wesley Chapel and Gaither high schools. (Courtesy of Houston Texans media communications)

Alex McGough, Houston Texans, quarterback
Local tie: Wesley Chapel High School/Gaither High School

The 24-year-old McGough has yet to throw a meaningful pass in an NFL regular season game, but teams seemingly appreciate his skillset enough to keep him rostered, mostly as a practice squad player.

The 6-foot-3, 214-pound signal-caller is on his third NFL franchise since being taken by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round (220th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. In addition to Seattle, McGough also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars before landing with his current team, the Texans.

So far through training camp, McGough projects as the team’s third-string quarterback, behind incumbent starter Deshaun Watson and backup AJ McCarron.

Closer to home, McGough began his prep career at Wesley Chapel High School, where he played varsity football, baseball and soccer.

He transferred to Gaither High School as a sophomore, and would go on to compile nearly 5,000 career passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns in three varsity seasons, graduating in 2014.

Despite showy statistics, McGough was rather lightly recruited, surprisingly, winding up at Miami’s Florida International University (FIU).

He proved doubters wrong there, too, setting several program records en route to over 9,000 career passing yards and 91 total touchdowns.

McGough’s uncle is former NFL punter and Super Bowl Champion Kelley Goodburn. McGough’s younger brother, Shane, also a Gaither product, is a redshirt senior offensive lineman at FIU.

Detroit Lions defensive back Amani Oruwariye prepped at Gaither High School. He begins his second NFL season. (Courtesy of Detroit Lions media communications)

Amani Oruwariye, Detroit Lions, cornerback
Local tie: Gaither High School

The 24-year-old Oruwariye looks to build off a promising rookie season where he registered 17 tackles, two interceptions and three passed defensed in nine games — and would’ve put forth a stronger showing had he not been hampered by a midseason knee injury.

But, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound corner will have to navigate another hurdle entering his second season, as he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Detroit Lions in late July.

A two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection at Penn State University, Oruwariye was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

With that, Oruwariye is believed to be the highest NFL draftee to come out of Gaither High School, where he graduated in 2014.

Other known Gaither alums drafted into the NFL include Alex McGough (seventh round in 2018), Carlton Mitchell (sixth round in 2010) and J.R. Russell (seventh round in 2005); and, New Orleans Saints linebacker Anthony Chickillo (sixth round in 2015) who attended Gaither his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Alonso High School.

Oruwariye was a three-year letterman at Gaither under former head coach Jason Stokes, and finished his career with 121 tackles and 12 interceptions combined. Senior year he was named team MVP, earned first-team all-district honors and was invited to play in the Hillsborough County All-Star Game. Various recruiting services ranked him a three-star prospect and top 100 recruit in the state.

Cincinnati Bengals third-year wide receiver Auden Tate is a Wharton High product. (Courtesy of Cincinnati Bengals media communications)

Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver
Local tie: Wharton High School

The 6-foot-5, 223-pound wideout looks to build off a breakout 2019 campaign that established him as one of the Bengals’ top offensive targets — hauling in 40 receptions for 455 yards and a touchdown. It marked a significant jump in production from his rookie season two years ago, where he compiled just four catches for 35 yards in seven games.

The 23-year-old prepped at Wharton High, moving to the Tampa area as a 10th-grader from South Carolina. He went on to become one of the nation’s most coveted receiver prospects with offers from 20 Division I schools, ultimately signing with Florida State University (FSU) in 2015.

Following a productive career at FSU, Tate was the Bengals’ seventh round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Quite impressive, considering Tate was once cut from his middle school football team in his hometown of Irmo, South Carolina.

Published August 12, 2020