letic tools necessary to play and excel on the football field, coach Rodemaker said it’s still not the number one thing that makes his son a standout quarterback. “The best thing about Tate is that he’s very even keeled,” coach Rodemaker said. “He is the same after throwing a touchdown pass as he is after throwing an interception. Tate is a confident guy, but he is still humble enough to know that he has things to work on as well.” Tate grew up in Wendell, North Carolina, where he began playing football at the age of 6. He played running back in his first year of organized football.
But then the family moved to Duncan, South Carolina, the next year, and Alan Rodemaker became coach at Byrnes High School. In Duncan, Tate changed positions, moving to quarterback. He never changed positions again and has played quarterback ever since. While he played quarterback on the football field, he also played basketball, baseball, and track. He continued to play those other sports in addition to football until middle school, when he became disinterested in baseball. “Baseball was just too slow for him,” coach Rodemaker said. ITG Next | 51