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The Detroit Lions are shifting kickers once again for the first time since the 2013 season, and the move to bring Randy Bullock into the mix comes with plenty of uncertainty.
Throughout their history, the Lions have been lucky to see consistency at the kicker position. Names like Eddie Murray and Jason Hanson have provided that through the years. Recently, Matt Prater became a similar cult hero within the fanbase with his ability to hit the deep ball as well as win plenty of games with his leg.
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Bullock is the new guy on the block, but that doesn’t mean that he lacks an appreciation for those who have come before him in Detroit. As he explained to the media after practice on Wednesday, August 25 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, he understands the history at the position given the Lions have had only three kickers in over the last 30 years, and wants to be the next in line to make it similarly at the position.
“I’ve actually heard that several times, that’s really impressive, it’s awesome. I hope I add on to that. That’s the ultimate goal. I want to be here for a long time, do a job, do it at a high level and help this team win,” Bullock told the media.
Interestingly enough, Bullock is wearing a familiar number in his quest to become the team’s next elite kicker. He takes over Hanson’s familiar number four in Detroit, and will inherit some of the pressure that goes along with that. There was no discussion on taking the number between the sides, nor any chat at all.
“To be honest I hadn’t had he opportunity to talk to him about it. If you look at the roster, there weren’t really that many single-digit numbers that were available. I’ve also been number four my entire career, there really wasn’t a decision involved,” he said.
Whether Bullock becomes Detroit’s next mainstay at the position or not remains to be seen, but he is at least clear of the history he is trying to make.
Randy Bullock Breaks Down Lions’ Kicking Competition
Thus far in camp, it’s been a mixed bag for Bullock in terms of his own performance. On one hand, he was 3-3 in the preseason opener. On the other, he’s had some well-documented struggles in practice, and hasn’t seen a ton of action in games .
“I feel great overall, I feel like it’s been for the most part a great training camp. There’s been a couple days where I’ve missed a couple kicks. But for the most part I feel great mentally and physically and I’m ready to go,” he told the media.
Getting Bullock enough kicks to feel comfortable and win the competition has been a goal for the team, but that hasn’t exactly materialized. He didn’t attempt a field goal on the road in Pittsburgh, but admitted he just has to continue to capitalize on his opportunities.
“I think you always want opportunities, it’s obviously out of my control, out of the staff’s control or anything. You get limited reps and you got to make what you get count,” he said.
As it relates to the kicking competition itself, Bullock admitted he hasn’t been worried about competing against either Matthew Wright or Zane Gonzalez because he is more focused on his own abilities and taking care of business.
“The way I view it I’m competing with myself every day. If I do my job, I’m in a good situation. I’m in the driver’s seat,” Bullock said.
At this point, it seems as if Bullock is indeed the lead dog at the position for the Lions.
Bullock’s Stats and Highlights
Bullock came into the league as a fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M for the Houston Texans, and kicked there for four seasons. He then moved on to the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and most recently the Cincinnati Bengals from 2016-2020. In his career, Bullock has been fairly accurate, hitting 83% of his kicks in the league. He has a long field goal of 57 yards in his career, and was the Lou Groza Award winner from 2011 as the best kicker in college football.
Here’s one of Bullocks’s worst misses:
The hope for Lions fans is this kind of performance is ancient history for Bullock, and he can make the kicking competition his own with consistent results.
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