[6] Tate made his NFL debut with the Buccaneers on September 4, 1988, at the age of 22, rushing 30 yards in a 41–14 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.
[7][8] Another memorable game during his rookie year came when he scored a 46-yard touchdown after being flipped at the line of scrimmage and landing on his feet.
[10] However, he was limited to just three games with the team,[2][11] due to a career-threatening neck injury that landed him on the injured reserve.
[13][14] After retiring from professional football, Tate returned to school and studied towards a degree in economics.
[11][16] He then followed in his father's footsteps by briefly playing college football for the Arizona Wildcats as a quarterback.