Before Jake Bates became a clutch kicker for the Detroit Lions, he was a standout for the Michigan Panthers in the United Football League.
And before that? He was on the Houston Texans for about two weeks in the summer of 2023. One preseason game into his tenure, Bates was waived after Ka’imi Fairbairn was cleared to practice.
#Texans waive K Jake Bates.
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson) August 12, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Known as a soccer player, the Houston native earned his place in team history on Sunday Night in front of his hometown crowd as the Lions mounted a comeback against the Texans in a 26-23 victory at NRG Stadium on Sunday Night Football with a walk-off 52-yard slicer.
“He is kicking it as well as anyone in the league right now,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “We see him in practice make these long ones all the time, so we were pretty aware of what his range is. Both of those looked good from a lot further than where they were kicked from. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Twelve months ago, Bates was working a 9-to-5 job at Acme Brick in Northwest Houston. Fast forward and he’s launching can’t-miss kicks from 58 yards out to beat the Texans on their turf.
JAKE BATES WALKOFF. 😱
LIONS COME BACK AND WIN IT! #OnePride pic.twitter.com/bzrqbTR4tc
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 11, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“I think it almost feels too scripted; it’s too good to be true,” said Bates postgame.
Fans in the Motor City recently discovered that Bates was waived by the Texans last year, thus creating the perfect villain arc in his return. Even with Fairbairn being one of the league’s top legs, that didn’t stop the internet from having some fun at Houston’s expense.