Played college ball with Reggie White.
Yep and Reggie once said Bates was one of those players he had a ton of respect for because of how he played, practiced, and approached his craft. He said they became friends off the field too. This speaks volumes. Yes, he was just a specialist the last few years, but he was more than that prior. He reinvented him self in the 90s because he was getting older, abd just wanted to help the team wherever he could fit in. He never let anything go to his head and he remained humble. No showboating. Gritty blue collar player on the field, even better human being off it. From everything I have heard, this is the case.
