It all started at Cartersville High School in Georgia.
Tate was a two-sport star, an All-American in baseball and football. He led the school's baseball team to consecutive state championships and was one of the most highly-regarded high school athletes in the country.ย
Rivals ranked him as a four-star football prospect and the No. 5 athlete in the nation for the class of 2009.ย
MaxPreps ranked Tate as the No. 5 baseball recruit in the class of 2009, and ESPN 150 ranked him as the No. 6 athlete in the country.ย
On April 1, 2009, ESPN's Lucas O'Neill put it like this:
"Donavan Tate is a supremely gifted athlete, a two-sport All-American whose future couldn't be brighter. He's humble, polite and quick to praise his mom. He's good-looking, well-liked and studies hard. He's a quiet leader, a dedicated teammate and the hardest worker you'll ever meet."
