BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Drafting a kicker isn't very common but that's the route the Buffalo Bills went on Saturday, drafting Tyler Bass out of Georgia Southern with the 188th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"It's rare to get picked but from what we put on tape, I felt like we had a really good shot," Bass said. "Just to get a call, it was a dream come true. I'm still kind of in a shock but couldn't be happier to be selected."
For Bass it's all very surreal, going from a walk-on to getting a shot in the pros.
"It's not easy, it's tough. You just gotta continue to grind. You just gotta put your head down and keep working and eventually it's gonna pay off," Bass said. "I grew into who I was as a kicker on and off the field, continuously got better, and never took no for an answer."
Playing his collegiate career in the Southeast, Bass will have to get used to playing in a much different environment. But he says it's nothing new, playing in some harsher weather conditions during his years with the Eagles.
"We played in the snow, the wind, the sleet. I played against Minnesota, UMass," Bass said. "That kind of cold and wind, I'm used to. It's something I've been training at my whole career so I'm up for it and just gonna keep doing what I've always done."
Bass finished his four-year career with the Eagles hitting 54-of-68 field goals, including a few 49-yarders against Appalachian State and Georgia State last season. He also had 55 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs.
"We were kicking on turf at Georgia Southern but we practiced on grass, so we did it all," Bass said. "I like to think I'm good from about 60-65 yards. I made one (recently) from 71 yards, had a little bit of wind behind me."
Bass will compete alongside Stephen Hauschka, who signed a two-year contract extension last offseason.
