Running with the Lions

Jace Billingsley is 5’9” and 189 pounds — among the shortest and lightest players on the Detroit Lions’ active roster — but he’s used to exceeding expectations.

Billingsley grew up in Winnemucca, Nev., a town of less than 8,000 that lies about six hours south of La Grande.

He was an all-state quarterback for the Lowry Buckaroos when he me Tim Camp, Eastern Oregon University’s head football coach. Camp recognized Billingsley’s potential instantly at a summer football clinic.

“He was one of the hardest workers,” Camp said. “That stuck out most. He was going into his senior year, and he had this ability to work really hard and passionately.”

Billingsley joined the Mountaineers as a wide receiver in 2012. He broke a school record with 69 receptions the following year and continued to improve.

Billingsley found that many EOU professors and coaches invest in students the way Camp had first demonstrated.

“You could tell he cared a lot about the program and players — about everybody there,” Billingsley said.

At EOU, the community, small classes and genuine relationships kept Billingsley engaged on and off the field. He majored in history and found a role model in professor Ryan Dearinger.

“He is a great teacher and advisor… someone I could always talk to,” Billingsley said of Dearinger. “At EOU, coaches are looking after you on the field and helping you develop as a person, too.”

In his final season at EOU in 2015, Billingsley racked up 13 touchdowns for a team-high 78 points and made up his mind to take a shot at his childhood dream of playing professionally.

“As far back as I can remember, I always believed that [playing professionally] could happen,” he said. “Coming from a small high school and then a small college, I never knew it would happen — but I always knew I wanted to give it a shot.”

He started training for a Pro Day in Seattle, where NFL scouts could see him perform. In March 2016, he made an impressive showing with a 4.39-second 40-meter dash and 25 reps of a 225-pound bench press. A month later, on NFL Draft Day, Billingsley received a call from the Detroit Lions.

“It’s definitely a dream come true,” Billingsley said. “I was starting to get a little worried because [the call] was later in the day, but it’s such a big accomplishment to even have the opportunity to play for an NFL team.”

Reflecting on his time as a Mountaineer, Camp called Billingsley “a real Mountie,” and said he remains an inspiration to current and future student-athletes.

“You have to at least try and not be afraid of failure,” Billingsley said. “I hope my success motivates other EOU students to see that anything is within their reach.”

Since 2016, Billingsley has adapted to the more business-like atmosphere of the NFL. After 20 years of playing on small stages with big heart, he said it’s been an adjustment.

“It’s a competitive business,” he said. “And that’s what makes it tough, but that’s also what makes it great.”

After a show-stopping entry to the league in the 2016 preseason, Billingsley spent the better part of the regular season on the practice team. He topped the team’s preseason stats chart with 12 receptions for 146 yards in 2016, and returned to the active roster for six games in 2017.

He’s on the off-season active roster and maintaining the positive attitude he developed as a Mountie.

Billingsley still visits campus on a regular basis, and said EOU keeps getting better while maintaining the friendly environment that made it feel like home when we he was attending.

“What I love most about EOU is that everyone has respect for one another — in the classroom, on a team — everyone enjoys being with each other,” he said. “That’s something I always try to keep doing.”

One of the leading reasons Billingsley chose EOU was for the short distance from his hometown. However, his time in the blue and gold launched him to achieve his dream in stadiums across the country.

“A small school doesn’t mean small opportunities,” he said. “EOU is a great place to see yourself grow as student, a person and an athlete… and it goes really fast.”