D'Wayne Bates
Encyclopedia
D'Wayne L. Bates is a former American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
. Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears
(1999
-2001
) and two with the Minnesota Vikings
(2002
-2003
). Bates is best known for his achievements as a collegiate player at Northwestern University
where he played for Big Ten Championship teams in 1995 and 1996. Bates was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten performer (1996 and 1998) and still holds a majority of the NU season and career receiving records.
He currently teaches history and coaches
football
and basketball
at Evanston Township High School
in Evanston, Illinois
.
and football
. As an outfielder, Bates was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
organization in the 53rd round of the June 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. On the gridiron, Bates was an option quarterback (and free safety on defense) and was a teammate of current St. Louis Rams
strong safety Corey Chavous
. Bates, The South Carolina State Player of the Year, Bates drew attention from ACC
and SEC
schools, such as NC State and Georgia
. However, as National Signing Day
drew closer Bates reconsidered a scholarship offered by Northwestern
coach Gary Barnett
. Although Northwestern was the last school that recruited him, Bates took the opportunity to leave the South to play football for the Northwestern Wildcats
.
to receiver
to add depth to the scout team
after injuries. Bates' collegiate debut came during an away game against Notre Dame
at Notre Dame Stadium, a memorable experience for Bates, who grew up idolizing Rocket Ismail and the Fighting Irish. Entering the game, Bates and the Wildcats were 28-point underdogs to the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish. In the third quarter, Bates caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Schnur stretching the NU lead to 17-9. Northwestern would hold on to win and stun Notre Dame, 17-15. Bates continued to excel throughout his freshman campaign, helping lead Northwestern to the 1996 Rose Bowl
, where he had seven receptions for 145 yards in a losing effort. Bates finished 1995 with 49 catches and 889 receiving yards, both Northwestern and Big Ten Freshman Records. For his efforts, he was named second team All-Big Ten.
All-American team. However, Bates suffered a broken ankle and fibula during the first game of the season against Oklahoma Sooners football
, ending his season.
At the time, Bates' career receptions (210) and career yardage (3,370) marks were good for second all-time among Big Ten receivers. Currently in the Big Ten record books, Bates ranks sixth in career receptions and seventh in career receiving yardage. Bates' reception and receiving yardage marks set Northwestern football records, which are still intact. Bates' achievements are more impressive, when one considers that he only played three full seasons.
, Bates was selected by the Chicago Bears
in the 3rd Round as the 71st overall pick. With the Bears, Bates was used mostly on special teams or as a backup receiver during his three seasons in Chicago (1999–2001).
. Although the Bears matched the free agent offer of the Minnesota Vikings
, Chicago decided to waiver Bates, who was claimed by the Vikings
.
2002 was Bates' best season in the NFL, as he caught 50 passes for 689 yards and 4 TD's, more than triple of the 15 receptions Bates had as a member of the Bears. However, in 2003, Bates' production diminished as he only caught 15 passes for 151 yards. During the off-season, he was sent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, however he was cut after just a month. Following his stint in Tampa, Bates returned to Evanston to train and wait for NFL free agent offers. However, Bates decided to retire from professional football in 2005.
, and was inspired to become a full-time teacher. While completing his master's work online with the University of Phoenix, Bates shadowed history and social science classes at ETHS. In 2005, Bates was inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame
. Bates taught both U.S. and World History at ETHS. (2010) Now Bates is a coach at White Knoll High School in Lexington,South Carolina.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
-2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
) and two with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
-2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
). Bates is best known for his achievements as a collegiate player at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he played for Big Ten Championship teams in 1995 and 1996. Bates was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten performer (1996 and 1998) and still holds a majority of the NU season and career receiving records.
He currently teaches history and coaches
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at Evanston Township High School
Evanston Township High School
Evanston Township High School District 202, is a four-year, comprehensive high school occupying a campus in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb along the Lake Michigan shore. ETHS serves the multiracial city of Evanston and a small portion of the neighboring village of Skokie, for a total...
in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
.
Early life
D'Wayne Bates was raised on a farm by a single mother in Jackson, SC. He attended Silver Bluff High School where he was a highly touted, two-sport athlete in high school, excelling in baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. As an outfielder, Bates was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
organization in the 53rd round of the June 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. On the gridiron, Bates was an option quarterback (and free safety on defense) and was a teammate of current St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
strong safety Corey Chavous
Corey Chavous
Corey Lamonte Chavous is an American football safety who is currently retired. Chavous played 11 years in the NFL for three different teams, primarily as a safety but also as a cornerback. Chavous was known as one of the most instinctive safeties of his era and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2003....
. Bates, The South Carolina State Player of the Year, Bates drew attention from ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
and SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
schools, such as NC State and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. However, as National Signing Day
National Signing Day
National Signing Day most commonly refers to a day in February, usually on the first Wednesday of that month, which is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the NCAA, the main governing body for...
drew closer Bates reconsidered a scholarship offered by Northwestern
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
coach Gary Barnett
Gary Barnett
Gary Barnett is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College , Northwestern University , and the University of Colorado at Boulder , compiling a career college football record of 92–94–2...
. Although Northwestern was the last school that recruited him, Bates took the opportunity to leave the South to play football for the Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
.
Freshman Year (1995)
During spring practice of Bates' freshman year, injuries rendered a position move from quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
to receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
to add depth to the scout team
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
after injuries. Bates' collegiate debut came during an away game against Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
at Notre Dame Stadium, a memorable experience for Bates, who grew up idolizing Rocket Ismail and the Fighting Irish. Entering the game, Bates and the Wildcats were 28-point underdogs to the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish. In the third quarter, Bates caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Schnur stretching the NU lead to 17-9. Northwestern would hold on to win and stun Notre Dame, 17-15. Bates continued to excel throughout his freshman campaign, helping lead Northwestern to the 1996 Rose Bowl
1996 Rose Bowl
The 1996 Rose Bowl was the 82nd Rose Bowl Game. It was the 50th game in the series featuring the Big Ten Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference. The USC Trojans defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 41-32 on the strength of two touchdown passes from USC QB Brad Otton to WR Keyshawn Johnson...
, where he had seven receptions for 145 yards in a losing effort. Bates finished 1995 with 49 catches and 889 receiving yards, both Northwestern and Big Ten Freshman Records. For his efforts, he was named second team All-Big Ten.
Sophomore Year(1996)
In his sophomore year, Bates continued his strong performance, proving that his freshman season was no fluke. Bates recorded 75 receptions, 1,196 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns, as Northwestern won their second consecutive Big Ten Championship. The 1,196 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns set Northwestern team records, and following the season he was named First Team All-Big Ten.Junior Year (1997)
Expectations for Bates were high entering his Junior season, as he was named to the prestigious preseason PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
All-American team. However, Bates suffered a broken ankle and fibula during the first game of the season against Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, ending his season.
Senior Year (1998)
Bates returned for his senior season at Northwestern, where he established career highs with 83 catches and 1,245 receiving yards. He also recorded 9 receiving touchdowns. For the second consecutive year, Bates was named First Team All-Big Ten.At the time, Bates' career receptions (210) and career yardage (3,370) marks were good for second all-time among Big Ten receivers. Currently in the Big Ten record books, Bates ranks sixth in career receptions and seventh in career receiving yardage. Bates' reception and receiving yardage marks set Northwestern football records, which are still intact. Bates' achievements are more impressive, when one considers that he only played three full seasons.
Northwestern Records
- Career Receptions: 210
- Career Receptions per game: 5.7
- Receptions by a Freshman: 49
- Season Receiving Yardage: 1,245
- Career Receiving Yardage: 3,370
- Season Receiving Touchdowns: 12
- Career Receiving Touchdowns: 26
- Games Gaining 100 Yards (season): 5 (twice)
- Games Gaining 100 Yards (career): 15
- Games Catching a TD Pass (season):10
- Games Catching a TD pass (career):20
Chicago Bears
During the 1999 NFL Draft1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
, Bates was selected by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 3rd Round as the 71st overall pick. With the Bears, Bates was used mostly on special teams or as a backup receiver during his three seasons in Chicago (1999–2001).
Minnesota Vikings
Following the 2001 NFL Season, Bates became a restricted free agentRestricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
. Although the Bears matched the free agent offer of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Chicago decided to waiver Bates, who was claimed by the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
2002 was Bates' best season in the NFL, as he caught 50 passes for 689 yards and 4 TD's, more than triple of the 15 receptions Bates had as a member of the Bears. However, in 2003, Bates' production diminished as he only caught 15 passes for 151 yards. During the off-season, he was sent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, however he was cut after just a month. Following his stint in Tampa, Bates returned to Evanston to train and wait for NFL free agent offers. However, Bates decided to retire from professional football in 2005.
After Retirement
Around the time of his retirement, Bates began to volunteer and coach at Evanston Township High SchoolEvanston Township High School
Evanston Township High School District 202, is a four-year, comprehensive high school occupying a campus in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb along the Lake Michigan shore. ETHS serves the multiracial city of Evanston and a small portion of the neighboring village of Skokie, for a total...
, and was inspired to become a full-time teacher. While completing his master's work online with the University of Phoenix, Bates shadowed history and social science classes at ETHS. In 2005, Bates was inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame
. Bates taught both U.S. and World History at ETHS. (2010) Now Bates is a coach at White Knoll High School in Lexington,South Carolina.