Jake Bates

Jake Bates
refer to caption
Bates with the Michigan Panthers in 2024
No. 39 – Detroit Lions
Position:Kicker
Personal information
Born: (1999-03-03) March 3, 1999 (age 25)
Tomball, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Tomball (Tomball)
College:
Undrafted:2023
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 10, 2024
Field goals made:14
Field goal attempts:14
Field goal %:100.0
Longest field goal:58
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jake Bates (born March 3, 1999) is an American professional football placekicker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college soccer for the Central Arkansas Bears and college football for the Texas State Bobcats and Arkansas Razorbacks. Bates holds the record for the longest field goal in United Football League history, 64 yards.[1]

College career

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Bates played two seasons of college soccer at Central Arkansas in 2017 and 2018, before transferring to play college football at Texas State in 2020 where he only handled kickoffs.[2] He transferred to Arkansas in 2022, once again only handling kickoff duties.[3] He was named first-team All-SEC as a kickoff specialist in 2022, tying the selection with Jack Podlesny.[4]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 0+5⁄8 in
(1.84 m) 		204 lb
(93 kg) 		30 in
(0.76 m) 		8+7⁄8 in
(0.23 m)
All values from Pro Day[5]

Houston Texans

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After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Bates signed with the Houston Texans on July 31, 2023.[6][7] He was released on August 12, 2023.[8][9]

Michigan Panthers

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On December 25, 2023, Bates signed with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL.[10] Bates's signing was one of several personnel decisions the league made based upon kickoff abilities as the UFL adopted a kickoff rule requiring the ball go 80 yards for a touchback, 15 yards longer than other levels of organized football.[11]

On March 30, 2024, during Week 1 of the 2024 UFL season, Bates made a game-winning 64-yard field goal against the St. Louis Battlehawks, the longest field goal in the history of both the UFL and its predecessor leagues,[12][13] five yards longer than the previous record set by Donny Hageman the previous year.[14] The first in-game field goal of Bates' life,[15] it is tied as the second-longest recorded field goal in professional football history.[15][16][17] Coincidentally, the lone longer kick—Justin Tucker's 66-yard kick for the Baltimore Ravens against the Detroit Lions in 2021—occurred under nearly identical circumstances and on the same field (Ford Field).[12] Bates, who had only attempted – and missed – one field goal before in his life (in high school),[15] had made the kick twice, the first being discarded due to the Battlehawks icing the kicker.[18] Bates would go on to, to date, kick two more field goals of 60 or more yards in 2024: an April 7 kick against Birmingham Stallions from 62 yards out, and a 60-yard kick against Arlington Renegades on May 5.[19][20] The ball Bates kicked on the 64-yard field goal is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its "Pro Football Today" exhibit.[21] He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024.[22] His contract with the team was terminated on June 17, 2024 to sign with an NFL team.[23]

Detroit Lions

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On June 18, 2024, Bates signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Lions.[24][25] Bates was one of only two UFL players to make a National Football League 53-man roster, out of 77 who participated in the NFL's 2024 preseason (the other being Jalen Redmond).[26]

In Week 7 of the 2024 season, Bates kicked a 44-yard game-winning field goal as the Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 31–29,[27] also being awarded NFC special teams Player of the Week for this feat.[28] In Week 10, Bates kicked a 58-yard field goal against the Houston Texans to tie the game before hitting a 52-yard game-winning field goal in a 26-23 victory. Both field goals only narrowly passed through the uprights, on opposite sides from each other.[29]

Statistics

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UFL

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Regular season

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Field goals Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blk Lng Pts
2024 MICH 10 17 22 77.2% 0 64 51
Career 10 17 22 77.2% 0 64 51

Postseason

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Field goals Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% Blk Lng Pts
2024 MICH 1 4 6 66.7% 1 53 12
Career 1 4 6 66.7% 1 53 12

NFL

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Regular season

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Field goals Points
Season Team GP FGM FGA FG% XPM XPA XP% Blk Lng Pts
2024 DET 9 14 14 100.0% 32 33 97.0% 0 58 74
Career 9 14 14 100% 32 33 97.0% 0 58 74

References

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  1. ^ "UFL kicker smashes 64-yard field goal: Watch Jake Bates' improbable kick that almost matched an NFL record".
  2. ^ "Jacob Bates – Football". Texas State Athletics. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Jake Bates". Arkansas Razorbacks. March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  4. ^ "2022 All-SEC Football Teams Announced". Southeastern Conference. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  5. ^ "Jake Bates College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  6. ^ Wilson, Aaron (August 1, 2023). "Source: Texans signing former Arkansas kicker. Tomball graduate Jake Bates". KPRC. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  7. ^ "Texans' Jake Bates: Signs with Houston". CBSSports.com. August 1, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Wilson, Aaron (August 13, 2023). "Texans activate tight end Teagan Quitoriano, cut Jake Bates". KPRC. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "Jake Bates: Kicked out of Houston". CBSSports.com. August 12, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  10. ^ Larsen, James (December 25, 2023). "Michigan Panthers Sign QB Danny Etling & K Jake Bates". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  11. ^ Waters, Andres (April 3, 2024). "How a kicker went from UCF to YouTube to the UFL: Deestroying is chasing his dreams". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Florio, Mike (March 30, 2024). "64-yard field goal by Jake Bates delivers 18–16 win for Michigan Panthers over St. Louis Battlehawks". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  13. ^ "Who is Jake Bates? Where Michigan Panthers kicker's game-winner would rank among NFL's longest field goals | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  14. ^ "XFL kicker Donny Hageman sets league record with 59-yard field goal for St. Louis Battlehawks". CBSSports.com. April 2, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Paul, Tony (April 2, 2024). "NFL buzzing on Michigan Panthers' Jake Bates, whose 64-yard FG is a crazier story than you think". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via archive.ph.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ Breech, John (April 2, 2024). "UFL kicker has reportedly been contacted by multiple NFL teams after smashing improbable 64-yard field goal". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  17. ^ McFerran, Riley (2024). "Former Razorback Jake Bates talks 64-yard field goal on Pat McAfee show". arkansas.rivals.com. HawgBeat. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  18. ^ Kasabian, Paul. "Video: UFL's Jake Bates Kicks 64-Yard Game-Winning FG for Panthers vs. Battlehawks". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  19. ^ "Video: JAKE BATES WITH ANOTHER 60+ YARD FG". twitter.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "Jake Bates goes five-for-five with game-winner for Michigan". NBC Sports. May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "Pro Football Hall of Fame receives artifact from United Football League's opening weekend". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "UFL Announces Inaugural All-UFL Team". www.theufl.com. June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "UFL Player Transactions, June 17, 2024". UFLBoard.com. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  24. ^ "Lions sign UFL kicker Jake Bates to 2-year deal". ESPN. June 15, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  25. ^ Ulrich, Logan (June 18, 2024). "Lions Officially Sign K Jake Bates, Waive K James Turner". NFLTradeRumors.co. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  26. ^ Miller, Anthony (August 28, 2024). "Former All-UFL Kicker Included in Detroit Lions' 53-Man Roster". UFL. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Moraitis, Mike (October 20, 2024). "Jake Bates hits game-winning field goal to push Lions past Vikings in Week 7 | Sporting News". The Sporting News. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  28. ^ Baca, Michael (October 23, 2024). "Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  29. ^ "Jake Bates kicks 52-yard field goal as time expires to lead Lions to comeback victory". FOX 2 Detroit. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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