Jake Bates Explained

Jake Bates
Current Team:Detroit Lions
Number:39
Position:Kicker
Birth Date:3 March 1999
Birth Place:Tomball, Texas, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:204
High School:Tomball (Tomball)
Undraftedyear:2023
Pastteams:
Status:Active
Pfr:BateJa00
Statleague:NFL
Statseason:2024
Statweek:13
Statlabel1:Field goals made
Statvalue1:19
Statlabel2:Field goal attempts
Statvalue2:20
Statlabel3:Field goal %
Statvalue3:95.0
Statlabel4:Longest field goal
Statvalue4:58
Highlights:

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

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

Houston Texans

After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Bates signed with the Houston Texans on July 31, 2023.[5] [6] He was released on August 12, 2023.[7] [8]

Michigan Panthers

On December 25, 2023, Bates signed with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL.[9] 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.[10]

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,[11] [12] five yards longer than the previous record set by Donny Hageman the previous year.[13] The first in-game field goal of Bates' life, it is tied as the second-longest recorded field goal in professional football history.[14] [15] 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).[11] Bates, who had only attempted – and missed – one field goal before in his life (in high school),[16] had made the kick twice, the first being discarded due to the Battlehawks icing the kicker.[17] 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.[18] [19] 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.[20] He was named to the 2024 All-UFL team on June 5, 2024.[21] His contract with the team was terminated on June 17, 2024 to sign with an NFL team.[22]

Detroit Lions

On June 18, 2024, Bates signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Lions.[23] [24] 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).[25]

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,[26] also being awarded NFC special teams Player of the Week for this feat.[27] 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.[28]

Statistics

UFL

Postseason

NFL

Regular season

Personal life

Bates is a Christian.[29] He is engaged to Presley Folkerts.[30]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UFL kicker smashes 64-yard field goal: Watch Jake Bates' improbable kick that almost matched an NFL record .
  2. Web site: Jacob Bates – Football . March 31, 2024 . Texas State Athletics . en.
  3. Web site: March 2, 2022 . Jake Bates . March 31, 2024 . Arkansas Razorbacks . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2022 All-SEC Football Teams Announced . March 31, 2024 . Southeastern Conference . en.
  5. Web site: Wilson . Aaron . August 1, 2023 . Source: Texans signing former Arkansas kicker. Tomball graduate Jake Bates . March 31, 2024 . KPRC . en.
  6. Web site: August 1, 2023 . Texans' Jake Bates: Signs with Houston . March 31, 2024 . CBSSports.com . en.
  7. Web site: Wilson . Aaron . August 13, 2023 . Texans activate tight end Teagan Quitoriano, cut Jake Bates . March 31, 2024 . KPRC . en.
  8. Web site: August 12, 2023 . Jake Bates: Kicked out of Houston . March 31, 2024 . CBSSports.com . en.
  9. Web site: Larsen . James . December 25, 2023 . Michigan Panthers Sign QB Danny Etling & K Jake Bates . March 31, 2024 . Pro Football Newsroom . en-US.
  10. Web site: Waters . Andres . April 3, 2024 . How a kicker went from UCF to YouTube to the UFL: Deestroying is chasing his dreams . April 3, 2024 . ESPN.com . en.
  11. Web site: Florio . Mike . March 30, 2024 . 64-yard field goal by Jake Bates delivers 18–16 win for Michigan Panthers over St. Louis Battlehawks . March 31, 2024 . NBC Sports . en-US.
  12. Web site: March 30, 2024 . Who is Jake Bates? Where Michigan Panthers kicker's game-winner would rank among NFL's longest field goals Sporting News . March 31, 2024 . www.sportingnews.com . en-us.
  13. Web site: April 2, 2023 . XFL kicker Donny Hageman sets league record with 59-yard field goal for St. Louis Battlehawks . March 30, 2024 . CBSSports.com . en.
  14. News: John. Breech. UFL kicker has reportedly been contacted by multiple NFL teams after smashing improbable 64-yard field goal. April 2, 2024. CBS Sports. April 19, 2024.
  15. Web site: McFerran . Riley . Former Razorback Jake Bates talks 64-yard field goal on Pat McAfee show . arkansas.rivals.com . HawgBeat . April 12, 2024 . 2024.
  16. News: NFL buzzing on Michigan Panthers' Jake Bates, whose 64-yard FG is a crazier story than you think. The Detroit News. archive.ph. April 2, 2024. Paul, Tony. April 15, 2024. April 2, 2024. https://archive.today/20240402180030/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/other/2024/04/02/nfl-teams-have-eye-on-michigan-panthers-jake-bates-who-never-made-a-fg-in-a-game-until-64-yarder-sat/73178830007/. bot: unknown.
  17. Web site: Kasabian . Paul . Video: UFL's Jake Bates Kicks 64-Yard Game-Winning FG for Panthers vs. Battlehawks . April 1, 2024 . Bleacher Report . en.
  18. Web site: Video: JAKE BATES WITH ANOTHER 60+ YARD FG. April 7, 2024 . twitter.com . en.
  19. Web site: May 5, 2024 . Jake Bates goes five-for-five with game-winner for Michigan . May 5, 2024 . NBC Sports . en-US.
  20. Web site: Pro Football Hall of Fame receives artifact from United Football League's opening weekend . April 12, 2024 . . en.
  21. Web site: 2024-06-05 . UFL Announces Inaugural All-UFL Team . 2024-06-06 . www.theufl.com . en.
  22. News: UFL Player Transactions, June 17, 2024 . UFLBoard.com . June 17, 2024 . June 18, 2024.
  23. Web site: June 15, 2024 . Lions sign UFL kicker Jake Bates to 2-year deal . June 18, 2024 . ESPN . en-US.
  24. Web site: Ulrich . Logan . 2024-06-18 . Lions Officially Sign K Jake Bates, Waive K James Turner . 2024-06-18 . NFLTradeRumors.co . en-US.
  25. Web site: Miller . Anthony . 2024-08-28 . Former All-UFL Kicker Included in Detroit Lions' 53-Man Roster . 2024-08-30 . UFL . en-US.
  26. Web site: Moraitis . Mike . 2024-10-20 . Jake Bates hits game-winning field goal to push Lions past Vikings in Week 7 Sporting News . 2024-10-20 . . en-us.
  27. Web site: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley highlight Players of the Week. Baca, Michael. NFL.com. October 23, 2024.
  28. Web site: 2024-11-10 . Jake Bates kicks 52-yard field goal as time expires to lead Lions to comeback victory . 2024-11-11 . FOX 2 Detroit . en-US.
  29. Web site: Gaydos . Ryan . Lions' Jake Bates sends faithful message after clutch field goals . Fox News . 15 November 2024.
  30. He lists Greek dolmades as his favourite pre game meal.Web site: Evans . David . Jake Bates Girlfriend: What We Know About Detroit Lions Kicker’s GF, Presley Folkerts . SportsCasting . 15 November 2024.

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