'Great tragedy' that former Texans RB Ben Tate ignored parental responsibilities, ex's lawyer says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Fort Bend County judge signed off on an arrest warrant on Thursday for former running back and Houston Texans player Ben Tate after reportedly failing to pay thousands of dollars in child support.

Tate's ex-wife Tasha Malek, with whom he shares three children, told ABC13 in an interview that she has yet to see a cent of the $39,000 that Tate was ordered to pay.

"I have three children, and it's very expensive to support three children. I am a single mother. I work very hard to support my kids," Malek said.

Ben Tate was taken as the 58th pick in the second round in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Texans, where he spent three years under head coach Gary Kubiak.

Tate ran for 1,992 rushing yards in four years after missing his first season due to breaking his ankle during the preseason.

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From there, Tate's tenure in the NFL was slight after being placed on injured reserve at the end of the 2013 season. Shortly after, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings in 2014.

Malek's attorney Steve Bruman claims Tate has been neglecting to pay child support and has also denied being served.

"He was located in Atlanta, Georgia, and was served earlier this week. Apparently, late last night, Mr. Tate had filed a motion with the court indicating that the individual served was not him," Bruman said.

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Bruman and his client say they are content with the court issuing an arrest warrant and hope all this will be resolved moving forward.

"It's just a great tragedy that someone that we hold in the highest esteem has chosen to ignore his responsibilities to his children. What a poor message to send to the community," Bruman said.

ABC13 has contacted Tate's reps for a comment but has yet to receive a response.