In order for a kicker in the National Football League to consistently have success, a significant amount of time and effort is spent on mastering the mental side of the game.
Those that are able to remain confident in their skills are able to weather the ups and downs, especially when kicks are missed.
Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates was able to remain calm enough in his debut to make a clutch kick to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like he does have a little bit of that (clutch gene). The pressure goes up and he kind of calms down and he seems to come up big in big situations, which is obviously an important quality for a field goal kicker for sure. It’s really one of the most important ones," said special teams coordinator Dave Fipp. "But it was a huge kick, for all intents and purposes a game-winner. If he doesn’t make the kick, we don’t win the game. And we ended up obviously winning the game, it was a big kick in a big moment."
Detroit's coaching staff has seen steady improvements in a player that understands he is still inexperienced and a developing player.
“He’s done a great job. I still really, I feel great about him. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him," said Fipp "He’s gotten better and better, he’s gonna continue to improve. He needs to continue to improve, he knows that. It’s the same thing we talked about a week ago, he’s very aware with who he is. He knows he’s a developing player, he’s getting better and better. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”
Bates nailed both of his field goal attempts in Week 1. Though both of his attempts were inside 40 yards, he demonstrated the ability to knock down kicks under pressure. The biggest came when he punched a 32-yard kick through the uprights with less than a minute left that sent the game into overtime.
The former Michigan Panthers kicker expressed following Detroit's season-opening win he is ready to execute whenever his number is called upon.
"Flow of the game kind of changes that spot maybe. I’m always ready, absolutely," said Bates. "I know we have a really, really good offense that’s gonna get us down the field a lot, and one of the best punters in the NFL that’s gonna pin them deep. I’m always ready to go and am just waiting to get my number called. Whenever that is called, go out and do the job.”
Bates acknowledged he attempts to be the same low-maintenance, calm individual, even though there is always a tangible awareness a game could come down to whether not he executes a kick.
"I think you always try to be the same guy," said Bates. "I think how you do anything is how you do everything. I think I'm a pretty consistent, low-maintenance, calm, little bit quiet (guy). And so that's kind of how I was then, that's how I am now. That's how I continue to be."
The 24-year-old turns to his faith in order to calm his nerves, especially on third downs when there is potential that his number gets called.
Bates explained, "When it gets to third down, I'm on the sidelines and I recite Hebrews 12:1, which is, 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.' That's just something I tell myself to calm myself down and know that it doesn't matter what the situation is or how many people are watching, just go out and run my race that Lord's put me on and do that to the best of my ability."
