Stacey Mickles
Special to Rivals High

The Griffeys (Ken and Ken Jr.) in baseball and the Mannings (Archie, Peyton and Eli) in football are prime examples of successful father-and-son combinations.

Donavan Tate hopes that one day, he and his dad can be mentioned in that sentence.

TATE-tooing the ball

Donavan Tate is a Rivals.com 4-star athlete for the Class of 2009, but, he may be a better baseball prospect. Tate hit a robust .515 with 10 homeruns as an all-state outfielder.

"He is blessed with good genes, good work ethic, and a good attitude," Cartersville baseball coach Stuart Chester said.

Tate says he started playing baseball at an early age ? and that it was his mom who got him started. "I started playing baseball when I was 3 or 4," he says, "My mom would throw to me."

At first, his mother, Traci Sims, didn't like the idea of her son playing football. His dad also warned him about how rough football can be. Eventually, though, the call of football was too much for Donavan to ignore.

By the time he started middle school, Tate already was showing signs of his ability. In his first game as a running back, he scored five touchdowns. From that point, he was a two-star athlete.

"He has natural, God-given talent," Cartersville football coach Frank Barden says. "He is very strong, very gifted and very fast."

Those qualities have schools from Alabama to USC ? and, of course, Georgia ? vying for his services as a football player. But he's not sure what sport he wants to specialize in.

"During baseball season, I love baseball," he says. "During football season, I love football. I don't know if I like one over the other."

What may trigger the either-or decision is where he goes in the June 2009 baseball draft. "The draft will have a big influence on my decision," he says.

As a sophomore all-state outfielder, he hit .515 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs, and he's considered one of the best high school outfielders in the nation and perhaps the best in the Southeast.

Father like son?

Blessed with a world of natural ability Donavan could follow in his fathers footsteps to the NFL. Lars Tate gained 1061 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground in three NFL seasons.

"If it were my decision, he'd go straight to college," she says. "Education is vitally important."

With that in mind, part of his decision about college will be based on whether coaches would allow him to play both sports. Tate says being able to do that will "definitely be a big factor" in the school he chooses, if he attends college. He says he already is talking to college coaches ? football and baseball ? to see if they would allow him to play both sports.

"It'd be great to go to a school that is dominant in football or dominant in baseball, but I'm really looking for a happy medium that has good program in both," he told Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barton Simmons last month.

Both of his high school coaches see no problem with playing two sports in college.

"He is a top-level athlete in both sports," Chester says.

"I think playing both will help him in the future," Barden says.

Neither coach has an idea of what sport Tate will choose. Although his parents would like to see him attend college, Tate says he'll take the opportunity that best suits him. He also knows his parents will back him no matter what.

"They will support my decision either way," he says.