Not everyone gets a second chance in the NFL, something new Lions kicker Matt Prater understands. During his four-game suspension from the Broncos this season, Prater decided to voluntarily enter rehab.
"I wasn't forced to go," Prater said, via ESPN.com. "It was just something I thought I should do, and my family, they helped me out a lot."
The kicker was suspended four games in August for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy after failing an alcohol test. The Broncos released Prater on Oct. 3, just days before his suspension was set to end.
Prater has been in the NFL's alcohol program since August 2011, when he was arrested and charged with DUI. The 2011 DUI was Prater's second in three years, Prater also got a DUI in Orlando in 2008.
The new Lions kicker, who's not allowed to drink because he's in the alcohol program, says he hasn't touched any alcohol in six weeks.
"Just trying to take it a day at a time," Prater said. "Sometimes you got to get knocked down and learn the hard way. I'm thankful that I have a second chance here and learn from all the mistakes I've made in the past and will not repeat them."
In order to not drink, Prater said he needs to avoid places and situations that might tempt him to drink.
"Certain atmospheres, there are certain triggers that people have, and for me, a lot of it is social settings," Prater said. "Staying out of certain places for me, and I think coming to a new city would be good because I'm not familiar with a lot of places. In Denver, I was familiar with certain places with drinking, and coming here, I'll just try to stay out of bar-type places and be more of a homebody type and figure out where I'm going to live."
Before signing with the Lions, Prater had a one hour conversation with coach Jim Caldwell where Prater had to convince the coach that alcohol wouldn't be a problem. If Prater were to fail another test, he could be subject to a one-year suspension.
"I am one who believes in a second chance," Caldwell said. "And I'm probably (like) most of you out there: I've had a few second chances in my life, and (they) have made a tremendous difference. I know maybe some of you experienced maybe some of the same things."
Prater might be a risk, but he's a risk the Lions almost had to take. Detroit has already been through two kickers this year. Nate Freese and Alex Henery combined to go 4-for-12 for the Lions through the first five weeks, making Detroit the first team since the 1999 Bears to miss eight field goals in their first five games.
The Lions shouldn't have to worry about accuracy with Prater. As a Bronco last season, Prater led the NFL in accuracy by hitting 25 of 26 field goal attempts (96.2 percent), including an NFL-record 64-yarder.
Distance shouldn't be a problem for Prater either. The veteran is the most accurate kicker in NFL history when it comes to kicks over 50 yards (minimum 20 attempts). Prater has hit 21 of 27 in his career, that's just slightly better than Henery and Freese, who combined to go 1 of 8 on kicks over 40 yards this season.
