For the first time in three seasons, a new guy will be lining up kicks for the Buffalo Bills.
On Thursday, Stephen Hauschka saw a three-year tenure with the club come to an end. Since the team used a draft pick on rookie Tyler Bass (sixth round), it’s not all that shocking.
Still, Bass wasn’t just going to be handed a job. He had to earn it, and Bass did.
Unless the unexpected happens, the Bills will have Bass, at minimal, lining up kicks for them when they open their season against the Jets.. And hopefully much longer than that.
But before he boots any sort of ball in a game for Buffalo, let’s get to know the man behind the foot.
Here’s seven things to know about new Bills kicker Tyler Bass:
How’d we get here?
OK so, the basics to start. Who is Tyler Bass?
Bass found his way to the Bills, as mentioned, by the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bills surprisingly used a late-round pick, a sixth rounder (No. 188 overall) on him. Bass played for Georgia Southern in college.
Entering the weird COVID-19 offseason, Bass had to battle Hauschka for the Bills’ starting placekicking job under these circumstances. Despite no preseason, Bass won. En route to doing so, Thursday was a big day.
During the ninth day of training camp practices, Buffalo took to Bills Stadium and had a scrimmage. Bass did much better.
Hauschka had two kicks… both extra points. He missed one. Bass on the other hand? Not only did he hit both of his extra-point attempts, he went 2-for-3 kicking with makes from 41 and 43 yards while missing from 55 yards out.
Despite that miss, that’s the thing that attracted the Bills to Bass and his skills. He didn’t miss that kick short, he has the big leg, and now the team will hope he just brings the consistency to the pros along with it. During his college career, Bass went 54 of 68 on field-goal attempts (79.41%) with a long of 50 yards during his four-year career.