By Michael Stets
After spending most of the 2016 season on the practice squad, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jace Billingsley was signed to the 53-man roster for the Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. He remained there for the NFC wild-card game against the Seattle Seahawks the following week. He didn’t get on the field, but that was a very rewarding time for Billingsley, who went undrafted out of Eastern Oregon University, and it proved that perseverance can pay dividends.
“It was cool to finally get promoted,” Billingsley told WJR after Lions’ OTAs on Wednesday, recalling when he was activated last season. “All that hard work on the practice squad finally paid off the last couple of weeks. But it’s a new year and you have to start at ground zero again. And I know I feel a lot better this year with a year of experience behind me. I’m definitely excited for this year to get going.”
Billingsley, 24, led the team during the 2016 preseason with 12 receptions for 146 yards. He turned in his best performance in the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, catching seven passes for 80 yards while turning some heads on two big plays: a 47-yard catch and run and a one-handed touchdown grab on a 10-yard pass from Jake Rudock.
Outside of returning starters Marvin Jones and Golden Tate–and third-round draft pick Kenny Golladay, who was selected No. 96 overall out of Northern Illinois and will obviously be a part of the position group–there will be one or two spots waiting to be had, depending on how many receivers the Lions intend to keep once training camp concludes. This will likely lead to a spirited competition this summer with veteran players like Jared Abbrederis, who previously played for the Packers, and T.J. Jones, who was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round in 2014 and has bounced back and between the practice squad and active roster the last few seasons, vying for the final spots at receiver.
The Winnemucca, Nev. native likes his chances at making the final 53-man roster.
“I’m going in with the mindset that I’m going to make this team,” said Billingsley, who wears the No. 16 jersey. “Every day I just come out here and try to get better. We will see what happens. I’m just going to enjoy being out here while I am, and like I said, just look to improve and try to help this team any way I can.”
With one full season now under his belt, Billingsley says he’s more confident than he was at this time last season.
“Oh yeah. Confidence is way higher than last year,” said the 5′ 9″ slot receiver. “That’s key, you know? I’m just happy to be out here and practicing again. It feels good to get back out after a long offseason. I’m exciting for every opportunity that I’m going to get.”
This year, Billingsley will have a greater chance at making the roster with the departures of Anquan Boldin, who led the team in touchdowns last year, and Andre Roberts, the Lions’ best punt returner last season, who took back two punts for scores in 2016. Known as “White Thunder, a nickname given to him by teammate Golden Tate, Billingsley will also be auditioning for that spot in hopes of maximizing his value to the team in as many ways as possible.
“The more you can do the better, so whatever it takes on special teams, whatever it takes at wideout, I’m going to do that and try to get on the field,” he said.
Prior to the start of OTAs, Billingsley took part in the Lions’ rookie mini camp, which also included several other second-year players. He likes what he sees so far and said the Lions have “a lot of great weapons,” on offense.
“I think once we put it all together it’s going to be fun,” Billingsley continued. “Obviously we got Stafford back there. We got some new guys up front to protect him and he’s unbelievable when he’s back there doing his thing. So it will be fun.”
And how is his on-field rapport with Stafford?
“It’s good,” he said. “This offseason has been good so far. I’ve been getting extra catches, all that. Getting my timing down. Every chance I get to go with him I gotta step it up. It’s been fun. He’s a great leader and he’s been helping me out and coaching me up, so it’s been good.”
The second-year wideout is no stranger to fierce competition, having won four straight wrestling state titles at Lowry High School in Nevada, where his 223-8 record still stands as the best in the state’s history. His wrestling background has clearly laid a strong foundation down for him to build upon as a football player, and it will be of great benefit during the grueling days of summer, when he’ll be fighting to ascend up the depth chart at receiver. Billingsley has gone from a standout wrestler from a small town like Winnemucca, Nev., with a population under 8,000, to setting all-time records at Eastern Oregon as a running back and receiver, and now his journey takes him into his second year in Detroit with the Lions.
It’s clear that “White Thunder” is confident in his abilities and will continue to scratch and claw in hopes of making the 53-man roster. So how will his background as a wrestler help in his quest to land a spot among the Lions wide receivers in 2017?
“Wrestling is probably the hardest sport there is out there and it translates to every sport you do. Definitely, the work ethic is big time and it teaches you how to just keep going, keep working, and competing one-on-one, and just to have that never-give-up mentality. I try to carry that with me wherever I go.”