Nate Burleson life and biography

Nate Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

2010: Starting wide receiver. Has recorded 40 catches for 468 yards (11.7 avg) and 4 touchdowns. Ranked ninth in NFL among wide receivers with a 6.1 Yards After Catch/Reception average.

* Had one reception for 19 yards in season opener at Chicago (9/12).
* Caught 1 reception for 4 yards vs. Philadelphia (9/19). Left game early due to ankle injury.
* Inactive with an ankle injury at Minnesota (9/26) and Green Bay (10/3).
* Caught first touchdown of the season against St. Louis (10/10). Led the team in receiving with four catches for 56 yards.
* Six catches, including one touchdown, for 50 yards at New York Giants (10/17).
* Season-high 7 catches for 47 yards against Washington (10/31).
* Tied season-high 7 catches, and let Lions with 113 yards receiving and a touchdown against the New York Jets (11/7). 100-yard outing vs. the Jets was his eighth career game with 100 yards and first since joining the Lions this season.
* Four catches for 47 yards at Buffalo (11/14). Also had one carry for 17 yards.
* Team-high 97 yards receiving on 7 receptions at Dallas (11/21). Nine-yard touchdown catch from Shaun Hill to give the Lions a 10-7 lead heading into halftime.
* Three catches for 35 yards against New England (11/25).

2009: Played in 13 games (12 starts) and finished second on the Seahawks with 63 receptions for 812 yards and 3 touchdowns. Was also Seattle’s primary punt returner with 30 returns for 254 yards, including a long of 29.
* Opened the season with a team-leading seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown against St. Louis (9/13).
* Posted sixth-career 100-yard game vs. Chicago (9/27), leading the team with 9 catches for 109 yards.
* Led the team with 6 catches and 98 yards and tied a career high with 2 touchdowns against Jacksonville (10/11).
* Led team with 6 catches for 89 yards at Dallas (11/1).
* Led team with 100 yards on 6 catches at Minnesota (11/22).
* Did not start at St Louis (11/29) because team opened with two tight ends, but still led Seattle with four catches for 46 yards. Also had a season-long 29-yard punt return.
* Led team with 54 yards on 5 catches at San Francisco (12/6) and averaged 8.7 yards on 7 punt returns.
* Had three catches for 50 yards at Houston before leaving the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
* Was inactive the final three games (Ten, 1/3; at GB, 12/27 and TB, 12/20) due to an ankle injury.

2008: Started first regular season game at Buffalo (9/7) and was leading the team with 5 receptions for 60 yards, and had 3 punt returns for 54 yards (including a long of 21), before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter.
* Placed on reserve/injured list September 9.

2007: Started 12 of 16 games while leading the team with 11 total touchdowns (9 rec., 2 ret.). Had at least one catch in each game and finished the season second with 50 receptions for 694 yards.
* Led Seahawks with 9 receiving touchdowns.
* Tied club record with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown (Charlie Rogers, at Ptt, 9/26/99) at Cleveland (11/4) and became the only player in NFL history to return three punts 90-plus yards for a touchdown in his career.
* Had first career kickoff return for a touchdown (91 yards) against St. Louis (10/21).

2006: Saw action at wide receiver in all 16 games with seven starts totaling 192 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 receptions.
* Gave Seattle a spark on special teams taking over punt return duties versus Oakland (11/6) and kickoff returns versus Green Bay (11/27).
* Named the NFC's Pro Bowl alternate returner after averaging 9.5 yards on 34 punt returns, including a 90-yard touchdown return versus St. Louis (11/12) that put Seattle up 21-16 in the fourth quarter. The return was also the second- longest in franchise history as he became one of six players in NFL history to have two or more punt returns of 90 or more yards in a career.
* Finished with an average of 24.7 yards (fourth best in team history) on 26 kickoff returns with a long of 50.

2005: Bounced back from injuries to contribute in the final five games of the season.
* Missed four games with injuries, inactive for games versus New Orleans (9/25), at Atlanta (10/2), at Chicago (10/16) and at Green Bay (11/21).

2004: Played in all 16 games with 15 starts and led the team with 1,006 yards receiving to give the Vikings a 1,000-yard receiver for the 12th straight season.
* Broke the 100-yard mark in four games.
* Posted the Vikings' first punt return for a touchdown since 1999 and the second-longest punt return in team history with a 91-yarder at Indianapolis (11/8) on Monday Night Football.
* Had first-career multi-touchdown receiving game with two at Detroit (12/19).
* Recorded career-long touchdown reception with a 68- yarder versus Green Bay (12/24).
* Registered first career 100-yard game at New Orleans (10/17) with 134 yards on 6 catches on Sunday Night Football.

2003: Started first career game and scored first career touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Gus Frerotte versus San Francisco (9/28).
* Caught first career pass on a 6-yarder from Daunte Culpepper versus Chicago (9/14) on ESPN Sunday Night game.

COLLEGE:
Recorded 248 catches for 3,293 yards and 22 touchdowns during his three years at Nevada.
* Finished second in NCAA history for receptions in a single season with 138 in 2002 and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation’s top wide receiver.
* Led the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards as a senior (2002) and was named first-team All-America by AFCA, All-WAC and team MVP. Was also a second-team All-America by The Sporting News and CNN/SI.
* Finished career first in conference and school history in single-game receptions (19) and single-season receptions (138).

PERSONAL:
Earned eight letters in football, basketball and track at O’Dea High School in Seattle.
* Named Seattle Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1999.
* Part of an athletically gifted family, started by father, Alvin, who played for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL from 1976-81; Brother, Kevin, played for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.
* Born in Calgary during his father’s playing days.
* Human development and family studies major.
* Married to wife Atoya. Couple has two sons, Nathaniel II and Nehemiah.

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