One Secret to Jake Bates' Success: Leave Him Alone

Kicker Jake Bates has earned the trust of the Detroit Lions coaching staff and teammates.

Following two field goals north of 50-yards, including a 52-yard game-winning kick to defeat the Houston Texans, the talented kicker has validated the strong support given to him from fans who clamored for general manager Brad Holmes to add him to the roster.

The former Michigan Panthers kicker has started his NFL career successfully connecting on 14 straight field goals and going 32-of-33 on extra points.

Following the 26-23 victory against the Houston Texans, Bates explained that he prefers to stick to himself throughout the game. This allows him to remain completely focused on his goals and not be distracted by external noise.

“I don’t really like talking to people," Bates said. "I’m pretty to myself, and (punter/holder) Jack (Fox) and (long snapper) Hogan (Hatten) and all the coaching staff, I think they probably picked that up a little bit. So they do a good job of letting me be.”

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp explained that he observed Bates as a player more in tune with staying quiet during the preseason, and as a result has committed to leaving him alone on game days to allow the talented kicker to stick to his routine.

“I mean, he doesn't talk to anybody. He stays locked in. He's obviously focusing," Fipp said. "And you’d have to ask him on whatever he does, and he's got his way about it. But the truth is, for me, on game day, I stay away from him. I watch him in the warm ups, if there's any pointers to give at that time, or just very subtle things that I think might help, and then I'll say it. If not, I'll let him, let him go. I'll stay working on all the guys around him, but the rest of it's on him.”