He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2009.

Born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Golden Tate attended Pope John Paul II High School, where he played as a three-sport athlete, competing in football, baseball, and track & field.

He was also a member of the John Paul 4 × 100 m relay squad that captured the state title with a time of 42.86 seconds.

In 2008, Tate's freshman year at Notre Dame, he played in 18 games and batted .262 with three doubles and three stolen bases.

[5] Tate also scored 45 runs his sophomore year which is the third highest by any Notre Dame baseball player.

[7] On June 14, 2022, Tate signed with the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League as a center fielder.

[12] Tate registered 100-yard games against Michigan, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh during the 2008 regular season, while being tapped First-team All-Independent by Rivals.com.

On September 19, against Michigan State, Tate had 7 receptions for 127 yards and an iconic game-winning touchdown in the closing minutes where he celebrated by jumping into the MSU marching band section in the corner of the endzone.

[22] On December 7, 2009, Tate announced that he would forgo his senior year and declared his eligibility for the 2010 NFL draft.

[31] At the beginning of the 2012 NFL season, Tate gained notoriety for being involved in a controversial ending during a game against the Green Bay Packers on September 24, 2012, which became infamous due to the confused ruling by replacement referees.

[33] Tate had a breakout year in 2013, improving significantly in all receiving statistics, with 72 receptions for 959 yards, and had an expanded role in returning punts.

During a week 8 game in St. Louis, Tate flashed his middle finger at Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins following a failed interception on the pass, whilst he returned the ball for a touchdown.

[36] As one of quarterback Russell Wilson's favorite targets, Tate went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in their 43–8 victory over Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos.

[46] Tate was a mid-season trade in 2018 from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft.

[48] In the Wild Card Round against the Chicago Bears on January 6, 2019, he made the game-winning touchdown catch on fourth down on a pass thrown by quarterback Nick Foles.

After the game, Tate's wife made posts on social media complaining about his lack of involvement in the Giants' offense.

[63] On June 14, 2022, Tate announced that he had signed with the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League (WCL) for the rest of the 2022 season.

[65] He is the son of Golden Tate Jr., a former wide receiver at Tennessee State who was the 120th overall pick in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts.