Golden Tate wanted a late-night snack. He nearly was arrested for it.
Caught trespassing in a Top Pot doughnut shop at 3 a.m. Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks' rookie wide receiver instead received a warning from Bellevue, Wash., police.
"They just kind of said, 'Don't do it again,' which I won't," said Tate, a second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame.
It might be a coincidence, but Top Pot recently signed a deal to be the doughnut and coffee supplier to Qwest Field, the Seahawks' home. Tate even praised the company's maple bars, despite the incident.
"They're irresistible," Tate said. "It was a foolish mistake that won't happen again, but if you ever want some maple bars, that's the place to go."
Nevertheless, Tate apologized for trespassing in the shop, which is located in the same building in which he lives.
"I'm very apologetic for it," he said. "This is the wrong type of media I want to bring to this organization, and I apologize to the team, the coaches and even Top Pot. As of now, I think that's the end of it. ... I'm very embarrassed to even have my name a part of this. Before now, I've never had any type of trouble in school or anything."
Mark Klebeck, co-founder of Top Pot Doughnuts, told Seattle's KJR radio that a baker must have gone to the restroom and left a door unattended or unsecured. Klebeck said that, during that time, Tate and another person must have entered the bakery through a back door or freight elevator that connects the store to the residences in which Tate lives.
Klebeck said the baker followed proper company protocol and immediately called police. While officers were dispatched, Klebeck told KJR, the baker recognized Tate as a resident of the building. That diffused the situation.
"The baker just said it really wasn't anything more than people were in the bakery who shouldn't have been there," Klebeck said. "That doesn't make any excuse for coming in when we're closed."
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he already has spoken with Tate about the incident.
"No, I'm not disappointed at a guy being at a doughnut shop at 3 in the morning when they got maple bars like Top Pot has," Carroll deadpanned.
"However, under the circumstances, I think they were closed or something like that, trying to close, or whatever. That's definitely wrong. We've talked about it, addressed it. He's remorseful and all that. I do understand the lure of the maple bars."
"Must be some good Maple Bars!" Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck posted on his Twitter page.
Tate said he understands he could have learned a lot tougher lesson than receiving some bad publicity off a warning.
"I'd rather learn on this ... than on something on me being arrested or cited, something bigger," Tate said. "Next time I will have the buddy go in and buy them instead."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
