D'Wayne L. Bates (born December 4, 1975 in Augusta, Georgia) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears (1999-2001) and two with the Minnesota Vikings (2002-2003). Bates is best known for his achievements as a collegiate player at Northwestern University where he played for Big Ten Championship teams in 1995 and 1996. Bates was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten performer (1996 and 1998) and still holds a majority of the NU season and career receiving records.