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Who is Jake Bates? What to know of Detroit Lions backup kicker after Michael Badgley injury
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- Who is Jake Bates? What to know of Detroit Lions backup kicker after Michael Badgley injury
The Detroit Lions suffered an early blow on Thursday in their bid to return to to the NFL playoffs, with kicker Michael Badgley sustaining a "significant" injury ahead of practice.
Badgley's injury will require surgery and land the 28-year-old kicker on the IR, ending his seventh season in the NFL before it could begin. He took over the kicking duties for the Lions in Week 15 last season, finished 13 for 15 on extra point attempts and made all four field goal attempts in the regular season. Badgley made 13 of 13 extra points and was 8 of 9 on field goal attemptss in the three postseason games for Detroit.
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Badgley was in competition with former Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates ― whom the Lions signed this offseason ― for the starting kicker position in the training camps. While the Lions are expected to bring in more competition for the starting role following Badgley's injury, Bates is currently the only active kicker on the roster.
Here's what you need to know about Bates, including where he went to college, his UFL career, stats and more:
Who is Jake Bates ?
Bates, born on March 30, 2000, in Tomball, Texas, is currently the only active kicker on the Lions' roster.
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Jake Bates college
Bates attended Tomball High School, earning All-District First Team and District 20-5A Offensive MVP for Tomball's soccer team.
He had an interesting college career, one in which he never attempted a field goal and started in a different sport with stops at Central Arkansas, Texas State and Arkansas. Bates began his college career as a soccer player at Central Arkansas. Bates started 29 of 36 games in his two-year stint there, including 11 starts in 18 matches during his sophomore season. He ranked second on the team with nine points after scoring three goals and three assists.
Following his sophomore season, Bates transferred to Texas State, where he handled kickoff duties. He had 32 kickoffs in 2020, resulting in touchbacks and an average net average of 42.1 yards per kickoff. The following year, he averaged 62.76 yards per kickoff in 12 games, adding 35 touchbacks on 53 kickoffs.
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Bates then transferred to Arkansas for the 2022 season, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors from the league's coaches as a kickoff specialist after leading the SEC and finishing fourth nationally with an average of 64.47 yards per kickoff during the 2022 season. He also was third in the nation and led the SEC with 64 touchbacks.
He also attempted an onside kick and recovered it against Alabama on Oct. 1, 2022.
Jake Bates, UFL and Michigan Panthers
Bates went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, but signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on July 31, 2023. He was released on Aug. 12, 2023. Bates hen signed with the UFL's Michigan Panthers on Dec. 25, 2023. Bates made 17 of 22 field goals for the Panthers across 10 games, scoring 51 points. He also hit 4 of 6 attempts during the postseason.
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Bates' contract with the Panthers was terminated on June 17 to allow him to sign with an NFL team. Bates signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Lions one day later.
Jake Bates UFL kicking record
In the season-opener for he Michigan Panthers in 2023, Bates connected on a 64-yard field goal at Ford Field ― also the home for the Lions. He made three kicks over 60 yards during his rookie season. Baltimore Ravens All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker holds the record for the longest kick in NFL history at 66 yards, also at Ford Field, during Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season.
The 64-yard kick was a game-winner with eight seconds remaining, and it came after the St. Louis Battlehawks called a timeout to try and ice Bates.
Jake Bates in Detroit Lions' camp
Bates has impressed early in camp with the Lions. During Thursday's practice, he made all six field goal attempts. He started his day by hitting a 50-yard field goal and then a pair of 38-yard field goals. He hit on a 52-yard field goal, which hit the right upright but bounced in, and then rounded out his day with field goals from 43 and 37 yards out.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jake Bates: Stats, UFL career, more for Detriot Lions' backup kicker
