Chris Murray

cmurray@rgj.com

Tim Billingsley could pick from a handful of favorite football memories of his nephew Jace Billingsley.

After all, Jace rushed for 5,672 yards and scored 69 touchdowns during three seasons while playing for his uncle Tim’s program at Lowry High School. As a junior, Jace rushed for 2,387 yards and 27 touchdowns. He followed that with a 2,360-yard, 33-touchdown senior season.

But Tim Billingsley’s favorite memory didn’t come from those two two years. His favorite memory came from when Jace was a sophomore and started as the team’s quarterback at Lassen, a powerhouse in its division. Jace threw six interceptions in that game, which Lowry lost, 62-8.

“We gave out helmet stickers for touchdown or big plays and the first thing he did when he got home after that game was take all of the stickers off his helmet,” the elder Billingsley said. “I said, ‘What’d you do that for?’ He said, ‘I don’t deserve these yet, but I’m going to work my (butt) off to earn them back.’”

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That, in a nutshell, sums up Jace Billingsley, who is as driven an athlete to come out of Northern Nevada in years.

For as long as Tim can remember, Jace wanted to earn everything he got. He wasn’t into handouts. He wasn’t into limitations. And six years after that six-interception game as a sophomore, Billingsley is looking to earn something almost nobody thought he could achieve: a spot on an NFL roster.

Following last week’s NFL draft, Billingsley signed an undrafted free-agent deal with the Detroit Lions, becoming the first person from Winnemucca (population 7,396) to sign an NFL deal. Billingsley leaves for Detroit on Thursday, begins rookie mini-camp with the team Friday and, given the contract he signed, should, at minimum, make it to training camp as he looks to crack the final 53-man roster.

“When I think about it, it is kind of surreal a little bit,” Billingsley said. “Of course I’ve dreamed about it, but getting this opportunity is exciting and I’m looking to make the most out of it.”

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Billingsley has always been an elite athlete. He's trying to take a most unusual path: small town to NAIA college to the NFL. A fourth-generation Nevadan, Billingsley grew up in tiny Winnemucca, which is 165 miles northeast of Reno, and was a dominant athlete.

Billingsley was a four-time state wrestling champion (one of four in his family to achieve that rarity) who won a state-record 223 matches (he was 223-8 in his career). He also was a standout football and baseball player. When it came time to pick a sport in college, it was going to be football all along.

“I still love wrestling and it was still a huge part of my life,” Billingsley said. “But when I ended my high school career, I was pretty burnt out on wrestling. I was really successful at it, and in football, I felt it would be a bigger challenge in my eyes, and it’s what I love to do, so that’s why I went that route.”

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The only problem is there wasn’t much interest in him despite the gaudy numbers he put up. The local school, the Nevada Wolf Pack, didn’t even offer a walk-on spot, Tim Billingsley said.

“We went to the Reno camp a couple of summers with him and we were talking to some of those guys and they said, ‘We just think he’s too small and he’s going to get hurt,’” Tim Billingsley said. “I told them that he works out like a mad man and will get bigger, but they told me, ‘We’re going to pass.’”

Shortly after, Eastern Oregon head coach, Tim Camp, called Tim Billingsley to see if he had any players. He bragged up, Jace, who had interest from a couple of other NAIA schools but wasn’t really getting recruited.

“He wasn’t getting a lot of looks,” Tim Billingsley said. “Coming out of high school, he was 170 pounds and 5-8. Coach Camp gave me a call and said, ‘What about this guy?’ It wasn’t because I’m his uncle, but I told him, ‘He’s the real deal and he can really play.’ Coach Camp gave him a look at it just went from there.”

At Eastern Oregon, Billingsley split time at receiver and running back and earned All-American honors. He holds school records for receptions (242), receiving yards (2,522), all-purpose yards (5,911) and touchdowns (42). But getting the attention of the NFL from the NAIA level isn’t easy.

In advance of the draft, Billingsley went to Seattle to train at Ford Sports Performance in Seattle, where he made some connections. Camp called the Wolf Pack coaches to see if they’d allow Billingsley to work out at Nevada’s pro day and the Wolf Pack obliged. After running an electric 40-yard dash (unofficially at 4.39 seconds) and doing 25 reps on the 225-pound bench, Billingsley put himself on scouts’ radar.

“Nevada’s pro day was huge,” Billingsley said. “I’m thankful the coaches let me do that. That’s what got the attention of scouts. Coming from a small school, to be put on that stage really opened the door for me.”

The Lions, who had a scout at Nevada's pro day, and the Chargers then put him through a private workout at Eastern Oregon. When the Lions called following the draft, Billingsley was sold. Detroit entered the draft with a need at receiver but didn’t select one. Billingsley likes the fit and thinks he’ll make a push for a roster spot given his versatility to play receiver, running back and on special teams.

The tight-knit Winnemucca community has rallied behind Billingsley as he pushes for an NFL roster spot. Those who know him aren’t selling short his chances of making the Lions.

“When he sets his mind to do something, he gets it done,” Tim Billingsley said. “Once he gets to Detroit and gets to work out and they see his work ethic and how smart he is and how quickly he can pick everything up, I say he has a shot, a better than average shot.”

Billingsley wouldn’t be the first Northern Nevada underdog to make an NFL roster.

Fallon’s Josh Mauga and Harvey Dahl, neither of whom were drafted, both had long stints in the NFL. Dahl played 87 games over eight seasons before retiring following the 2013 season. Mauga just wrapped up his fifth season in the league and has become a starter for the Chiefs. Both of those players starred at Nevada before getting their pro shots. Billingsley is trying to complete an even more miraculous journey.

“I’ve kind of embraced that underdog mentality,” Billingsley said. “When I came out to college, I did so with a chip on my shoulder and had to prove myself and it’s the same thing going into Lions camp. I’m still going to be an underdog going against these guys from bigger schools and I have to have that mentality and I have to outwork everybody.”

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at cmurray@rgj.com or follow him on Twitter @MurrayRGJ.

THE FILE ON JACE BILLINGSLEY

Team: Detroit Lions (undrafted free agent)

Position: Wide receiver/Running back

Height/weight: 5-9/185

Hometown: Winnemucca

High School: Lowry High

College: Eastern Oregon

In high school: Was a four-time state wrestling champion who set a state record with 223 career wins; rushed for 5,672 yards and scored 69 touchdowns in three varsity seasons in football; also was a standout baseball player.

In college: Set school records in receptions (242), receiving yards (2,522), all-purpose yards (5,911) and touchdowns (42) at NAIA Eastern Oregon.