How cool is it that we get spring football!? You get to say things like, “Holy ****, is that Matt Corral!?” during the early-afternoon leg of a doubleheader, but above all else, you get high-caliber football players who are just on the fringes of making it to the NFL who get a new lease on gridiron life.
Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates takes that all to a whole other level. If I have this right, he began his collegiate football journey at Texas State before transferring to Arkansas, purely as a kickoff specialist.
He then played soccer for Central Arkansas before somehow bumble-***king his way to the newly christened UFL. A magical place where Dwayne Johnson is out here gassing up the game and spearheading a spring football movement that seems like it might actually stick.
An historic day in spring football for our United Football League! Beautiful energy and mana – and as Coach Prime @DeionSanders said today, the best part is giving these players opportunities to live their dreams and keep hope alive.
THANK YOU FANS!!
🏟️👊🏾💪🏾 @NFLonFOX @ESPN https://t.co/pK5M6ml6qr— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 30, 2024
Back to Bates, though. This man hadn’t kicked a field goal in a game since high school, and on Saturday night, he was tasked with trying to knock off the St. Louis BattleHawks with a ho-hum 64-yard field goal.
Not only did Bates drill through the first attempt, which was wiped out by a freaking timeout, but he stepped back in and nailed it when it actually counted, too!
Jake Bates, a kickoff specialist, hadn't attempted a field goal since high school.
He just hit a game-winning 64-YARD field goal for the Panthers…
And he did it twice 🔥🦵 pic.twitter.com/7uL2QGEZoG
— UFL (@XFL2023) March 30, 2024
Talk about March Madness. Bates called the snapper-holder tandem of his “the best operation in the league.”
The star kicker, Jake Bates, talks with @Jbooty88 after his 64-yard field goal led to a @USFLPanthers win! pic.twitter.com/0jPQdYwcwA
— UFL (@XFL2023) March 30, 2024
Who am I to question that evaluation? Chances are, in an eight-team UFL, you won’t get a much better operation than this. But hey, Mr. Bates, give yourself some damn credit. You’re in elite company that only Baltimore Ravens GOAT Justin Tucker can claim to be a part of. This was the same Ford Field where Tucker nailed a 66-yarder to break the hearts of the then-futile Lions.
lol Justin Tucker really hit a 66-yard field goal to win a game
via @nflpic.twitter.com/cgUHeYgFV7
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) May 9, 2022
That pain is part of the catalyst that drove the Fighting Dan Campbells to become a legit juggernaut who should’ve made it to the Super Bowl this past season.
Will Bates’ cannon-legged game-winner be the spark that ignites his hopes of being a mainstay in the NFL? Time will tell, but you better believe he just jumped onto the radar of almost all 32 teams with that type of performance in the clutch. One longtime journeyman NFL alum, backup QB Chase Daniel, is among those stumping for Bates to hit the big league.
Sign Jake Bates RIGHT NOW https://t.co/qlt9ieRbGT
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) March 30, 2024
I second Daniel’s motion. Jake Bates, expect multiple minicamp/training camp invitations if you keep this type of work up! Congrats!
PS shout out Matt Corral, who got a deserved mention in the lede for this seed…
Matt Corral threw a DOT 👀 🎯
(via @XFL2023 , @USFLStallions) pic.twitter.com/fZBLs2UaN4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 30, 2024
