Nate Burleson

Nathaniel Eugene Burleson (born August 19, 1981) is a Canadian-American television host, football commentator, and former football player. He played professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Playing college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2002. Burleson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

Burleson is now at Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS), co-hosting CBS Mornings and covering football for CBS on its The NFL Today program, as well as on Nickelodeon. He previously co-hosted Good Morning Football on NFL Network, along with being a New York correspondent for the entertainment news program Extra from 2019 to 2021. He has been featured on several rap songs under the name New Balance.

On June 11, 2024, it was announced that Burleson would host a revival of the classic game show Hollywood Squares, which premiered on January 16, 2025.

Burleson, who is of African Canadian heritage, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At the time his father, Al Burleson, was playing defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). His oldest brother, Alvin Jr., played college football for the University of Washington Huskies and the Western Illinois University Leathernecks. Another older brother, Kevin played professional basketball and was formerly a point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His younger brother Lyndale played college basketball for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Kevin and Nate Burleson are one of only two sibling duos in which one brother played in the NBA while the other played in the NFL. As a mark of his father's influence, Nate Burleson's jersey number on the Seattle Seahawks, 81, was his father's high school number.

In 1983, his father signed with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL), moving the family back to the United States. However, Burleson remains proud of his Canadian citizenship, sporting a maple leaf tattoo and expressing interest in playing for Canada in a World Cup of football to the media. After an injury ended Alvin Burleson's playing career, he moved the family to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, U.S., where he worked for Associated Grocers. Nate Burleson attended Rainier View Elementary School in Seattle. He attended Lindbergh High School in the suburb of Renton as a freshman, and then transferred to O'Dea High School in Seattle, where he graduated. As a senior, he was named Seattle Times City Athlete of the Year.

Burleson was also on the school's track and field team, competing as a sprinter and hurdler. He won the state title in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 38.70 seconds in 1999, and finished eighth in 110-meter hurdles as junior.

Burleson hoped to attend the University of Washington in Seattle, his father's alma mater, but was not offered a football scholarship. Instead he accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Nevada in Reno and played for the Wolf Pack, then in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). In his senior season in 2002, he made 138 receptions, the second highest in NCAA history, and led the NCAA in both receiving yards and in receptions per game. At Nevada, Burleson had 248 receptions for 3,293 yards with 22 touchdowns; he was named first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association, all-conference (WAC), team MVP, and was named second-team All-America by The Sporting News and CNN/SI. He currently holds the WAC and Nevada all-time records for single game receptions with 19 catches. He graduated with a degree in human development and family studies.

Burleson was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings, the 71st overall pick. Despite showing promise, Burleson did not put up strong numbers during his rookie season. In his second season, 2004, an injury to fellow receiver Randy Moss opened up opportunity for Burleson as he became the team's number one receiver. Burleson put up strong numbers, reaching over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Not only a good receiver, but also a standout special teams player, Burleson is the only player in NFL history to have three punt returns of 90 or more yards.