(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Getting noticed by one NFL team is a rare feat.
Jake Bates did more than just get noticed after his feat (or more accurately, foot) during his team’s UFL debut Saturday.
The Detroit News’ Tony Paul is reporting that multiple NFL teams have inquired about the kicker after his miraculous kick for the Michigan Panthers.
The Michigan Panthers already have heard from multiple NFL teams about kicker Jake Bates after his 64-yard FG.
— Tony Paul | Detroit News (@TonyPaul1984) March 31, 2024
With eight seconds remaining in the game, the Panthers lined up for a 64-yard field goal attempt.
Bates nailed the initial try to set the UFL record for the longest field goal on it’s opening weekend, but a timeout by the opposing St. Louis Battlehawks nullified the attempt.
After the timeout, Bates returned to the field and connected yet again on the deep kick to give his team an 18-16 victory in their UFL opener.
What makes Bates’ attempt more special is the former University of Arkansas kicker had not attempted a field goal since high school.
For Bates, that’s a span of seven years in between kicking field goals in live competitions.
Collegiately, Bates was a kick-off specialist, earning First-Team All-SEC honors from coaches for his 64.47 yards per kickoff average in 2022.
Bates has signed deals with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans over the past two years.
The kicker appeared in only one preseason game during that span, but neither team added him to their final roster.
The 64-yard field goal would have tied the second-longest kick in NFL history behind Justin Tucker’s 66-yard field goal in 2021.
Prior to football, Bates played soccer in college at Central Arkansas before transferring to Texas State in 2020 to focus on football.
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