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Monday, September 1, 2008
Solid Red
Western Arkansas, AR
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By: Gary Smith
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Photo(s) By: Kim Singer
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Harrison’s Austin Tate Locked Into Razorback Future
At a time when high school athletes jump in and out of recruiting process more frequently than Paris Hilton changes boyfriends, HarrisonTate has been solidly in the University of Arkansas fold since he was offered a scholarship.
He’s never visited another campus. He’s never sent out another highlight tape. In fact, until a late summer trip to St. Thomas with his girlfriend and her family, Tate had never even left the state of Arkansas.
“Once I found out I was the kind of player they were interested in, that was it,” Tate said. “That’s where I wanted to go. I’ve always been a Razorback fan. When they offered, I committed right away. Now that’s one less thing I have to worry about, and I can just relax and have fun.”
Of course, Tate’s idea of fun might not be everyone’s. For instance, despite the summer heat, he enjoys working in his grandfather’s farm so much he’d like to own one of his own some day.
“I don’t mind when it gets hot,” Tate said. “The hotter the better.”
Things might get pretty warm for Tate this fall when he takes the field for the Goblins. All eyes will be on him and all defenses focused on the future Razorback. But Tate said he’s not concerned about the attention.
“If they want to double-cover me, that’s going to leave someone else open,” Tate said. “I don’t mind being a decoy. But if I have to bust a double coverage, I will.
“It’s not a one-man game, it’s an 11-man game, and we’ve got lots of good receivers.”
Frankly, it just doesn’t seem that Tate worries about much, or has much of a reason to. With his college future already lined up, he’s concentrating on a senior year free of concerns about ACT scores, recruiting trips and the ups and downs of a potential Division 1 football player.
He’s not even worried about transitioning to the Razorbacks’ more wide-open passing attack, particularly since Harrison has operated in the Spread for the past two years.
“It’s going to be hard, but at least I’ll be more familiar with what they’d doing,” Tate said. “We run the ball a little bit more, but we do spread it out.”
The only concern Tate may have about his college career at this point is making sure he can get back to Harrison enough during the school year, particularly during hunting season.
“It (Fayetteville) is only an hour away, so I can make it back,” Tate said. “But after my vacation, I really missed my family, so I’m sure I’ll make it back as much as I can.”
If Tate says he will, chances are more than good he will. After all, he’s pretty solid with commitments.
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