Youth football coach, former NFL kicker, called up to Buffalo; was key to Bills win over Ravens

The Buffalo Bills’ win over the Baltimore Ravens can be credited to a youth football coach.

Matt Prater is normally an assistant coach for kids between the ages of 9 to 11 and was preparing for his team’s opening season game by writing practice scripts for the kids when he got an unexpected call, he said.

The Buffalo Bills had placed kicker Tyler Bass on the injured reserve due to a pelvic injury, so the team was in desperate need of a replacement and they called in Prater, making him the oldest player to take the field in Bills’ history, according to Sports Illustrated.

Initially, they put him on the practice squad, but then made him the game kicker.

It wasn’t as if Prater, 41, didn’t have NFL experience. He was a kicker for 19 seasons, starting in 2007. He had been selected for two Pro Bowls. He’s also 15th on the league’s all-time scoring list with 1,819 points, according to CBS Sports.

Prater was placed on injured reserve last season after suffering knee soreness. He thought he was done as a player.

Despite not being on a pro field as a player for about a year, the Bills signed him last week. He took a redeye to Buffalo, flying across three time zones, and had two practices before he took center stage during “Sunday Night Football” opening weekend against the Ravens.

And he was still kicking on target, making three of three field goals, including the game-winner 32-yarder that wrapped up the Bills’ comeback 41-40 on the final play of the game.

That made him the oldest player to win a game for the Bills, Sports Illustrated reported.

“I just to have to go do my part and tried to kick (the ball) straight,” Prater said after the game.

“I’m still on cloud nine. It was such a fun experience and it’s awesome just to be a part of it,” he added.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who met Prater the day before the game, said the stand-in kicker spoke with him before the game.

“Today, before the game, he comes up to me, you know, in the locker room,” Allen said, according to Sports Illustrated. “Before he even takes the field, he just said, ‘Hey, I promise you I’m going to give you everything I got tonight.’ It’s a guy that’s been around the league for a long time, and I’m just thankful he’s here for us.”

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