Bates has signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions, the United Football League announced Tuesday.
This spring, Bates was a standout player for the Michigan Panthers, making 17 of 22 field goals, including three of four from distances of sixty yards or more.
In Week 1, the All-UFL kicker showed off his skills by defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks with a 64-yard field goal with three seconds remaining. In Week 6, he would later boot the game-winning 42-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.
He was 7 of 11 from 50 yards or more throughout the 2024 season, and his greatest field goal, which measured 64 yards, was the longest in the league.
Before switching to college football, the Tomball, Texas native played collegiate soccer at Central Arkansas. He made stops at Texas State and Arkansas as their kickoff specialist.
In high school, Bates excelled at kickoff returns as well; his 64-yard boot marked his first successful conversion of a competitive field goal.
Bates will compete with Michael Badgley, the team’s current kicker, for the position of kicker.
This will be Bates’ second NFL stint, as he was with the Houston Texans during the 2023 preseason.
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