Tate never cleaned his Seahawks locker out after winning Super Bowl

Dec 22, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate (81) during the national anthem prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field. Arizona defeated Seattle 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Wide receiver Golden Tate won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks after the 2013 season, and now he's going up against his old team as a member of the Detroit Lions on Monday night.

Tate, who was Seattle's second-round pick in 2010, didn't expect to sign with a new team when free agency was approaching in the spring of 2014.

"Actually, after the Super Bowl, I was so confident I was coming back, I was showing up to the facility, just never cleaned my locker out, left all my stuff in there," Tate told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I thought, 'I'm going to be back. I know.'"

Tate's contract negotiations with the Seahawks fell through and he ultimately signed with the Lions before the 2014 season. It ended up being a good decision for Tate, as he set career-high reception (99) and receiving yardage (1,331) in his first year with the Lions. He also made his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Tate will have a little extra motivation to beat his former team on Monday night. He can help the Lions get their first win of the season with a big performance of his own.

"Obviously, I want to win this game, and I tried not to worry about this game until the week got here," Tate said, via the Free Press. "But you can't help but to think, 'It's my old team, man. Guys who drafted me, everyone who helped me get to here.' This is a chance for me to go out there in that stadium and handle business. That'll be great for us to do."

Working against Tate on Monday night will be one of the fiercest defensive backfields in Seattle's Legion of Boom. With only 15 catches for 161 yards this season, the sixth-year receiver will need to be on the top of his game to experience a breakout performance against the Seahawks.

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