The Detroit Lions found a gem in former UFL kicker Jake Bates.
After not attempting a field goal in college and returning home to sell bricks in Texas, Bates found his way to the UFL's Michigan Panthers and became a sensation after drilling several long kicks.
The Lions brought him in on a two-year deal ahead of training camp, and after Michael Badgley suffered a season-ending injury he was the lone kicker on the roster.
Rather than find more competition, Dan Campbell elected to stick with Bates even through some camp struggles. Bates rewarded the staff with an exceptional first season, making 26-of-29 field goals including 6-of-8 from 50 yards and beyond.
Replicating his success from a season ago will be a challenge, but the Lions have steadfast belief in the Texas native to continue being a reliable force.
One new variable will be added to Bates' workload heading into 2025. The Lions played just three outdoor games last season. This season, that number will bump up to seven.
The weather will have an impact on several of these games. Detroit will make trips to Baltimore and Cincinnati early in the year, along with back-to-back games in Washington and Philadelphia in November.
Kicking in the elements will be a challenge that will be more prevalent for Bates in 2025, and Fipp is anticipating him stepping up to the test.
"I think the biggest thing with him is just to continue to progress, keep his confidence up. I said a year ago at the very beginning of the year, he's gonna have some ups and downs and we're gonna stick with him. I'll say the same thing this year," Fipp said. "We obviously play outside a lot more this year, so that'll be a challenge he's gonna have to overcome. It was kind of a perfect storm with all those inside games, so that gives him a chance to develop and prove that he can go out there and do it outside and inside and be the same player."
Impact of Dan Campbell's motivation
Amidst all the big kicks, Bates explained that a driving force for him was the motivation Campbell provides. Whether in team meetings or out on the field, Bates is consistently eager to take the field and give his best for his head coach.
During a recent conversation at the Grand Rapids First Assembly of God Church, he explained his affinity for the style that Campbell approaches coaching the team with.
"He's so true to who he is. You know, whether it's in front of the camera, it's behind closed doors, just us," Bates said, via ABC-13 in Grand Rapids. "He's a guy that, you know, it's our job to perform well and to try to win, but he's also a guy that we want to win for, and that we love. And it'll be like, eight in the morning, we'll get our little team speech, or a meeting or whatever, and I'm ready to run through a brick wall. It's like, I probably don't need to be doing that, but I'm ready to if he asked me to."
The Lions did see some ups and downs from Bates during training camp, as he battled with bouts of inconsistency in practice ahead of the team's preseason games.
Still, the team elected to hold on due to his potential, and it paid off. Bates recalled a conversation he had with Campbell early in his time with the team that helped ease the nerves surrounding his NFL opportunity.
"He came up to me, kind of on his own, and said, 'You know, Jake, just to let you know, we never expect you to be perfect. We expect you to be the same person every day.' Well, that was where I could kind of feel like, okay, you know, I can be a human," Bates said. "And I'm gonna miss, and it's gonna happen. I'm gonna struggle. But having a coaching staff and, you know, people around me that believe in me and continue to trust me no matter what, it's just been such a blessing. And I really couldn't have asked to be in a better place."
