Former Georgia Bulldog superstar Lars Tate died Tuesday at the age of 56 at his St. Petersburg, Florida home.
His cause of death has not been confirmed, but he was diagnosed with cancer last month and was in “increasingly failing health,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Tate was one of the original members of Georgia Backfield which earned the program the nickname “Running Back University”. Along with Rodney Hampton, Keith Henderson and Tim Varley – aka the “Four Horsemen” – Tate led the Bulldogs in 1986 and 1987.
The football world took to Twitter to react to the devastating news.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lars Tate. He was one of my favorite players, and I still remember how excited I was when I met him. He is gone too soon, but he will live on forever on our minds,” wrote one fan.
“Rest in peace to a DGD! Prayers for the Lars Tate family! 32 days until kickoff and No. 32 makes his way to heaven!” another pair.
“RIP Lars Tate. Took from us too quickly,” added another.
Tate ended his collegiate career with 36 rushing touchdowns, still tied with Todd Gurley, the third all-timer in program history. His 3,017 career rushing yards still ranks sixth.
Our condolences are with the Tate family and those close to them at this difficult time.