East Texas Baptist University Athletics

Two-sport athlete at ETBU (baseball, football)

Awards - Football

• ASC Player of the Week - Special Teams (Oct. 25, 2015)
• D3football.com "Team of the Week"  - wide receiver (Sept. 29, 2015)
• ASC Player of the Week - Offense (Sept. 27, 2015)
• USA Football Network All-American second team (2014)
• All-ASC first team (2014)
• ASC Player of the Week - Special Teams (Sept. 21, 2014)
• All-ASC second team - wide receiver (2013)
• All-ASC second team - special teams (2013)

Awards - Baseball

• All-ASC first team  (2014)
• ABCA All-West Region third team (2014)
• All-ASC first team  (2013)
• ASC Freshman of the Year  (2013)
• ABCA All-West Region third team (2013)

Career Highs

Receiving

• Catches: 17 vs. Howard Payne (10/26/13)
• Yards: 274 vs. Louisiana College (9/26/15)
• Longest Catch: 79 yards vs. Sul Ross State (10/31/15)
• Receiving Touchdowns: 4 vs. Texas College (9/12/15)

Rushing

• Carries: 4 vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• Yards: 29 vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• Longest Run: 15 yards vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• Rushing Touchdowns: 1 vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)

Kick Returns

• Number of Returns: 8 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor (11/9/13)
• Yards: 158 vs. Howard Payne (10/26/13)
• Longest Return: 62 yards vs. Williamette (9/28/13)

Punt Returns

• Number of Returns: 5 vs. Williamette (9/28/13)
• Yards: 67 vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• Longest Return: 60 yards vs. Southwestern (9/20/14)
• Touchdowns: 1 vs. Southwestern (9/20/14)

Passing

• Attempts: 1 vs. Millsaps (9/27/14)
• Completions: 1 vs. Millsaps (9/27/14)
• Touchdowns: 1 vs. Millsaps (9/27/14)
• Yards: 36 vs. Millsaps (9/27/14)
• Longest Completion: 36 yards vs. Millsaps (9/27/14)

100/200 Receiving Yard Games

• 274 (10 receptions) vs. Louisiana College (9/26/15)
• 229 (14 receptions) vs. Sul Ross State (10/31/15)
• 195 (12 receptions) vs. Sul Ross State (11/1/14)
• 193 (5 receptions) vs. Texas College (9/11/15)
• 172 (12 receptions) vs. Hardin-Simmons (11/8/14)
• 158 (8 receptions) vs. Howard Payne (10/17/15)
• 158 (10 receptions) vs. Mary-Hardin Baylor (11/15/14)
• 147 (15 receptions) vs. Louisiana College (10/25/14)
• 137 (7 receptions) vs. Texas Lutheran (10/11/14)
• 119 (8 receptions) vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• 108 (17 receptions) vs. Howard Payne (10/26/13)
• 107 (7 receptions) vs. Mary-Hardin Baylor (11/9/13)

2+ Touchdowns Games

• 4 vs Texas College (9/11/15)
• 3 vs. Southwestern (9/19/15)
• 3 vs. Sul Ross State (11/1/14)
• 2 vs. Louisiana College (9/26/15)
• 2 vs. Texas Lutheran (10/11/14)
• 2 vs. Sul Ross State (11/16/13)
• 2 vs. Texas Lutheran (10/5/13)
• 2 vs. Willamette (Ore.) (9/28/13)
• 2 vs. Southwestern (9/21/13)

Records

• 1^st – Single Game Receptions: 17 at Howard Payne (10/16/13)
• 2^nd – Single Game Receptions: 15 at Louisiana College (10/25/14)
• T-4^th – Single Game Receptions: 12 vs. Sul Ross (11/1/14)
• T-13^th – Single Game Receptions: 8 vs. Hardin-Simmons (10/19/13), vs. Texas Lutheran (10/5/13), and vs. Howard Payne (10/17/15)
• ^2nd – Single Game Receiving Yards: 274 vs. Louisiana College (9/26/15)
• 1^st – Single Game Receiving Touchdowns: 4 vs. Texas College (9/11/15)
• T-2^nd – Single Game Receiving Touchdowns: 2 vs. Sul Ross State (11/16/13), vs. Texas Lutheran (10/5/13), vs. Williamette (9/28/13), at Southwestern (9/21/13)
• 4^th – Longest Punt Return: 47 yards vs. Louisiana College (10/12/13)
• 1^st all-time in Receptions: 160
• 3^rd all-time in Receiving Yards: 1,873
• T-1^st all-time in Receiving Touchdowns: 20
• 7^th all-time in Kick Return Attempts: 34
• 4^th all-time in Kick Return Yards: 911
• 2^nd all-time in Kick Return Average (min. 15 returns): 26.8
• 3^rd all-time in Punt Return Attempts: 28
• 3^rd all-time in Punt Return Yards: 372
• 2^th all-time in Punt Return Average (min. 10 returns): 13.3
• 100 yard receiving games: 
• 195 vs. Sul Ross (11/1/14)
• 147 at Louisiana College (10/25/14)
• 137 at Texas Lutheran (10/11/14)
• 119 vs. Mississippi College (11/2/13)
• 108 at Howard Payne (10/26/13)
• 107 at Mary Hardin-Baylor (11/9/13)

2015 (senior)

• Named All-ASC 1st Team
• Selected to the National Bowl in Miami, Florida
• Named to the D3Football.com All-ASC South Region 3rd Team
• Had 74 receptions for 1251 yards; longest reception was 80 yards vs. Louisiana College
• Had 11 receiving touchdowns
• Had season high 14 receptions vs. Sul Ross State.
• Had season high 274 yards vs. Louisiana College
• Had season high 4 touchdown receptions vs. Texas College
• Had 6 punt returns for 74 yards; longest was a 48-yard punt return touchdown vs. Belhaven
• Had season high 302 all-purpose yards (274 receiving, 28 punt return yards) vs. Louisiana College

2014 (junior)

• Named to the ASC First team as a receiver, honorable mention punt returner
• Named to USA Football Network Second team All-American
• Played in all 10 games, making 8 starts
• Caught a career high 84 passes, including 49 in the last four games, for a career high 1,156 yards
• Set an ETBU record with 11 receiving touchdowns
• Set the ETBU record with 195 receiving yards against Sul Ross
• Returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown against Southwestern, the longest punt return touchdown in the history of the program
• Completed two of three passes, including one for a 36 yard touchdown against Millsaps

2013 (sophomore)

• Played in 10 games
• Caught 73 passes on the season
• Set a career record with 17 catches against Howard Payne on (10/26)
• Had three straight 100 yard games against Howard Payne, Mississippi College (11/2) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (11/9)
• Caught two TD passes in four different games
• Threw a 37 yard TD pass against Williamette on 9/28
• Had a season high 158 kick return yards against Howard Payne
• Had a season high 320 all-purpose yards against Mississippi College, he also ran for a touchdown, his only one of the year
• Ranked 22^nd in the nation with 7.3 receptions per game
• Ranked 20^th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game with 167.3
• Led team in catches, all-purpose yards, punt return yards and kick return yards in 2013

2012 (freshman)

• Played in all 10 games in first year on team
• Finished with 25 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown
• First collegiate catch came vs. Austin College (9/8) finishing with five catches for 72 yards
• First collegiate rush for three yards was vs. Austin College
• Caught a pass in nine of 10 games played
• Set career-high of five catches, twice, vs. Austin College and Hardin-Simmons (10/13)
• Had a career day vs. Hardin-Simmons with 97 yards receiving and first collegiate touchdown
• Longest catch of the year was 48 yards vs. Austin College
• Was a kick returner the last three games with eight returns for 170 yards
• Recorded four punt returns for 64 yards in two games
• Set career high of five kickoff returns for 111 yards vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor (11/3)
• Produced a 47 yard reception vs. Hardin-Simmons (10/13)

Alavarado High School

• Four year letterman for coach Jeff Dixon
• Played as a wide receiver and cornerback
• Earned four letters in baseball under coach A.J. Hall
• Also earned letters in basketball
• Three-time all-district defensive back
• Two-time district MVP
• Two-time Texas All-State defensive back
• All-State kick and punt returner
• Helped team to the state championship game finishing as runners-up
• Broke school record for interceptions in season with 12
• Set all-purpose yards in a single season with 3,622
• Set school career record for interceptions
• Named All-Region as a senior in baseball
• Graduated in 2012

Personal

• Son of Willie Bates and Mark and Tracey Matthews
• Born on June 1, 1994
• Undecided in a major

Favorites

• Hobbies: playing sports, listening to music, watching movies
• Food: lasagna
• Team: Oklahoma City Thunder, Oregon Ducks, Texas Rangers
• Person: his mother
• Sports Experience: going to  the state championship game in football
• Vacation: Disney World
• Most Influential Person: his father
• Famous Person Met: Andy Dalton
• Sports Movie: Blind Side and Remember the Titans
• Athlete: Dez Bryant and Kevin Durant