New Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates had the unique experience of quickly becoming a fan-favorite of a fanbase before actually joining the team.
A sensation in the UFL, Bates endeared himself to the Lions' fan base throughout his stint with the Michigan Panthers. Because the Panthers played their home games at Ford Field, there was plenty of overlap between fans of the UFL squad and Lions supporters.
As a result, when Bates went viral for nailing multiple kicks from 60-plus yards out, Lions fans clamored for leadership to add him into the kicker competition. He felt the love from the supporters, and signed with the team at the end of the UFL campaign.
"Detroit really felt like home, even outside of all that stuff. It just felt good," said Bates. "And there's no real feeling, there's no real words to describe what that feeling is. It just felt good there. The people there were awesome. Obviously, can't let yourself listen to that too much, because you never know. But no, it was awesome. My dad and my my brothers and my mom, they would come to games and see the fans or the fans online. Them and my friends had a little bit more fun with all that stuff than I did. I definitely felt the love and I'm super, super excited to be in such a football heavy city that loves the Lions and supports the Lions. And I just can't wait to be a part of it."
Bates finished the year 21-of-28 on field goal attempts, with three makes over 60 yards. One of those makes was a game-winning 64-yard boot in the season opener, which doubled as his first field goal attempt.
Because the Lions have struggled to find stability at the kicking position following the departure of Matt Prater, fans clamored to bring Bates into the fold after witnessing his leg strength.
The excitement generated by his arrival has only fed into the palpable buzz surrounding the direction of the organization heading into the 2024 campaign.
"I think just when you walk into the building, just the feel of it, the culture that the coaching staff has brought in and just the buzz around the city, the excitement for the team," Bates explained. "I mean, there's so many things, so many intangible things that I think go into it with the feeling around the Lions right now.
"Obviously last season was was awesome for them," Bates commented further. "And I just can't wait to get up there and help in any way I can to hopefully do well for this city and have a lot of fun doing it with a really good team."
Represented by veteran agent Marty Magid of MRM sports, several factors including overall comfort guided his decision to join Detroit's roster.
"There was a lot of things that that went into it," said Bates. "There's a whole whole thing that after everything that happened, and we went through that whole process. My agent and I sat down, and he was super helpful through everything. There's just there's a bunch of different things, and every situation is different. And so that's just where we felt most most at home, most comfortable. And that's where, ultimately, we decided to go and and there is no turning back. I'm super excited for it."
Bates reportedly had interest from the Packers and Commanders after the Panthers season concluded.
The next step will be a competition between him and incumbent Michael Badgley, who has spent parts of the last two years as the team's kicker. Overall, Badgley has made 27-of-31 attempts in a Lions' uniform.
The latest Lone Wolves Lions podcast features a conversation with Bates discussing how he ended up in Detroit, his experience with the Panthers and his mindset heading into training camp this summer.
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