Many young men toil away from the glaring spotlight of the NFL in lesser football leagues, and besides a love of the game, they have one goal in mind.
They seek to appear on the radar of an NFL club and have the golden opportunity to bring their talents to the highest level of play.
While most will not see this come to fruition, there are always great stories of the little engine that could, the underdog who worked hard and earned their day in the sun.
As reported by Aaron Wilson, the dream of one UFL standout, kicker Jake Bates of the Michigan Panthers, is about to come true as the Detroit Lions are expected to sign him to a deal.
Sources: #Lions expected to sign Michigan Panthers @USFLPanthers standout kicker, Tomball grad Jake Bates @KPRC2 https://t.co/BV8cciwlqj
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 14, 2024
The All-UFL Bates became one of the most fascinating stories out of the spring league with his booming kicks for the Panthers.
He played college ball at Central Arkansas, Texas State, and finally, Arkansas, where he won First-Team All-SEC honors in 2022.
However, as a kickoff specialist, Bates never kicked a field goal in his college career.
That changed with the Michigan Panthers, and he became a league sensation after calmly booting a 64-yard field goal to win the team’s season opener.
The Lions had the added advantage of watching Bates on their home turf, Ford Field in Detroit.
Bates finished a solid 17-22 in field goals in the UFL and had only one miss below 50 yards.
Multiple NFL teams wanted to ink him to a contract, but Detroit apparently will fulfill his dream of playing at the game’s highest level.
