Jake Bates

Last updated
Jake Bates
No. 38 – Michigan Panthers
Position: Kicker
Personal information
Born: (2000-03-30) March 30, 2000 (age 24)
Tomball, Texas, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school: Tomball
(Tomball, Texas)
College:
Undrafted: 2023
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
UFL records
  • Longest UFL field goal: 64 yards

Jacob Bates (born March 30, 2000) is an American football placekicker for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college soccer for Central Arkansas, and college football for Texas State and Arkansas. Bates holds the record for the longest successful UFL field goal at 64 yards. [1] Bates has also played for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL).

Contents

College career

Bates played two seasons of college soccer at Central Arkansas in 2018 and 2019, 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 to the First-team All-SEC team in 2022. [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 United Football League (UFL). [9] Bates's signing was one of several personnel decisions the league made based upon kickoff abilities (Donald De La Haye being another), 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] It is tied as the second-longest recorded field goal in professional football history and the first field goal of his life; [14] [15] [16] 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] On April 7, 2024, during week 2 of the 2024 UFL season, Bates connected on another 60+ yard field goal with a 62-yard field goal just before halftime against the Birmingham Stallions. [18] 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. [19]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ Kasabian, Paul. "Video: UFL's Jake Bates Kicks 64-Yard Game-Winning FG for Panthers vs. Battlehawks". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  2. ↑ "Jacob Bates – Football". Texas State Athletics. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  3. ↑ "Jake Bates". Arkansas Razorbacks. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  4. ↑ "2022 All-SEC Football Teams Announced". Southeastern Conference. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Aaron (2023-08-01). "Source: Texans signing former Arkansas kicker. Tomball graduate Jake Bates". KPRC. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  6. ↑ "Texans' Jake Bates: Signs with Houston". CBSSports.com. 2023-08-01. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Aaron (2023-08-13). "Texans activate tight end Teagan Quitoriano, cut Jake Bates". KPRC. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  8. ↑ "Jake Bates: Kicked out of Houston". CBSSports.com. 2023-08-12. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  9. ↑ Larsen, James (2023-12-25). "Michigan Panthers Sign QB Danny Etling & K Jake Bates". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  10. ↑ Waters, Andres (2024-04-03). "How a kicker went from UCF to YouTube to the UFL: Deestroying is chasing his dreams". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  11. 1 2 "64-yard field goal by Jake Bates delivers 18–16 win for Michigan Panthers over St. Louis Battlehawks". NBC Sports. 2024-03-30. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  12. ↑ "Who is Jake Bates? Where Michigan Panthers kicker's game-winner would rank among NFL's longest field goals | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. 2024-03-30. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  13. ↑ "XFL kicker Donny Hageman sets league record with 59-yard field goal for St. Louis Battlehawks". CBSSports.com. 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ McFerran, Riley (2024). "Former Razorback Jake Bates talks 64-yard field goal on Pat McAfee show". arkansas.rivals.com. HaegBeat. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  16. 1 2 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 – via archive.ph.
  17. ↑ Kasabian, Paul. "Video: UFL's Jake Bates Kicks 64-Yard Game-Winning FG for Panthers vs. Battlehawks". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  18. ↑ "Video: JAKE BATES WITH ANOTHER 60+ YARD FG". twitter.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  19. ↑ "Pro Football Hall of Fame receives artifact from United Football League's opening weekend". Pro Football Hall of Fame . Retrieved 2024-04-12.
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