John Tate IV

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Photo by: Matthew A. Smith

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Photo by: Matthew Smith

Position:
DL
Ht./Wt.:
6-4 / 295
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Pine Bluff, Ark.

Honors

• 2021 Second-Team All-AAC
• 2021 Second-Team All-AAC (Phil Steele)
• Tiger 3.0 Club (2021, 2018)
• Dean’s List for the 2018 fall semester

2021 (Fifth Year)

• One of just six Tigers to start all 12 games on the season
• Totaled 36 tackles, 22 solo, to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, five quarterback hurries and a team-best two fumble recoveries
• Had his best game in win over Navy, posting season-highs in tackles (6), tackles for loss (2) and sacks (1)
• Totaled five tackles in win over Arkansas State, along with a tackle for loss

2020 (Redshirt Senior)

• Member of the 8-3 Tigers who won the 2020 Montgomery Bowl
• Did not see action

2019 (Redshirt Junior)

• Played in all 14 games on the defensive line
• Recorded 17 total tackles, including 13 solo stops
• Tallied four multi-tackle games • Registered 1.5 TFL (two yards)
• Also had a QBH and one PBU
• Logged a season-high four tackles against Navy
• Added three tackles in each road win at South Alabama and at Tulsa
• Member of the 2019 team that finished with a 12-2 record, won the American Athletic Conference Championship and earned a berth to the 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

2018 (Redshirt Sophomore)

• Saw action in all 14 games, including the Birmingham Bowl
• Made one start
• Credited with 17 total tackles (10 solo), including six TFL and four sacks
• Had two PBU, two blocked kicks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble
• Posted four multi-tackle games • Blocked a career-best two kicks vs Georgia State
• Knocked down a Georgia State PAT in the third quarter and a FG attempt in the fourth period
• The following week vs South Alabama, registered first collegiate sack
• Sack came in the second quarter vs the Jaguars
• Had a season-high three total tackles vs Tulane (3 assists) and Houston (2 solo)
• The two solo stops vs the Cougars tied a season-high
• Recorded his lone forced fumble of the season vs Houston
• Forced the Houston QB to fumble midway through the fourth quarter with Memphis leading 45-31
• Although the Cougars recovered the loose ball, the play set the Houston offense back, and the drive ended with the Cougars turning the ball over on downs (Memphis scored a TD on next possession to extend lead to 52-31)
• Had two solo hits vs UCF in the regular season
• The tackles vs the Knights were TFL/sacks, both career-bests
• Piled up a career-high 16 TFL/sack yardage vs UCF
• Logged a fumble recovery vs UCF
• His fumble recovery got the ball back for the Tigers just after the Knights had forced a turnover in Memphis territory
• Recorded a career-high two PBU vs Wake Forest in the Birmingham Bowl

2017 (Redshirt Freshman)

• Played in all 13 games, including the AutoZone Liberty Bowl
• Logged 27 total tackles (19 solo), including 0.5 TFL
• Had one PBU, one QB hurry, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick
• Posted nine multi-tackle games
• Made collegiate debut in the season-opening win over Louisiana Monroe
• Credited with first career tackle, PBU and QB hurry in the home win over UCLA
• Had two solo stops vs the Bruins
• QB hurry came on a 2nd-and-10 play from the Memphis 19-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, forcing an incomplete pass
• On the next play, Bruins QB Josh Rosen threw an interception, ending UCLA’s final scoring threat • Recorded a career-high four total stops (3 solo) in a road win at Connecticut
• The three solo hits also were a career best
• Tied career high for total tackles with four in a home win over Navy
• Picked up his first collegiate fumble recovery in the comeback victory at Houston
• With the Cougars driving inside the Memphis 30, Tito Windham sacked Houston QB Kyle Postma and forced a fumble
• Recovered that fumble at the Memphis 37-yard line
• Turnover led to a TD that cut the Houston lead to 31-28 early in the fourth quarter
• Logged first career blocked kick in a home win over ECU
• Blocked the Pirates’ PAT after their first TD of the game midway through the third quarter
• Tied career highs with four total tackles and three solo hits vs Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl

2016 (Freshman)

• Redshirted
• Member of the 2016 team that went 8-5 and played in the Boca Raton Bowl

Prior to Memphis/Personal

• Three-year starter for the Pine Bluff High School Zebras from 2013-15
• Made 39 appearances
• Had career stats of 99 tackles, 18 sacks, 32 TFL and one interception
• Helped lead Pine Bluff High School to back-to-back Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) Class 6A state titles in 2014 (10-3 record) and 2015 (13-0)
• Zebras went 8-4-1 and reached the state title game his sophomore campaign
• Earned Arkansas All-State honors his junior and senior seasons
• Had 39.5 tackles, nine sacks and 13 TFL as a senior in 2015
• Posted a career-high 2.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL in a 34-27 win over El Dorado his senior season
• In his junior season, recorded 32.5 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 11 TFL
• Recorded a career-best 6.5 tackles in an AAA Class 6A state playoffs semifinal win over Jonesboro
• As a sophomore in 2013, posted 27 tackles, 2.5 sacks, eight TFL and 12 QB hurries
• Also recorded his only career interception in 2013
• Named to the 2013 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team
• Son of John and Pamela Tate
• His father, John Sr., played basketball at Arkansas State and is the Red Wolves third-leading all-time scorer with 1,776 points