.jpg) Koo with the Falcons in 2022 | |||||||||||||
| No. 6 –Atlanta Falcons | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | (1994-08-03)August 3, 1994 (age 30) Seoul, South Korea | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Ridgewood(Ridgewood, New Jersey) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Georgia Southern (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2024 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Younghoe Koo | |
| Hangul | 구영회 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Gu Yeonghoe |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ku Yŏnghoe |
Younghoe Koo (Korean: 구영회;RR: Gu Yeonghoe;[1] pronounced/ˈjʌŋweɪ/;YUNG-way;[2] born August 3, 1994) is a South Korean-American professionalfootballplacekicker for theAtlanta Falcons of theNational Football League (NFL). He was named to thePro Bowl in 2020 after leading the league in scoring that year. He is sixth on the NFL's all-time leaderboard in field goal percentage (minimum 100 attempts).[3] Koo is also known for his ability to successfully executeonside kicks.[4]
Koo played four seasons ofcollege football for theGeorgia Southern Eagles and was named a finalist for theLou Groza Award in 2016. He signed with theLos Angeles Chargers as anundrafted free agent in 2017 but was released a month into the season after missing consecutive game-ending kicks. Following a year away from football, Koo played for theAtlanta Legends of theAlliance of American Football (AAF), where he converted all of hisfield goal attempts until the AAF suspended operations. His success led to his return to the NFL the same year with the Falcons.
Koo was born on August 3, 1994, inSeoul, South Korea.[5][6] He playedsoccer growing up and won a regional kicking competition in South Korea.[7] He moved to the United States when he was 12 years old to live with his mother, who had gone toNew Jersey two years earlier to work as anurse while Koo's fatherremained in Seoul as a professor atInduk University.[8]
Koo played on thefootball team forRidgewood High School inRidgewood, New Jersey. He was named team MVP his senior season, contributing on bothspecial teams and defense, where he tallied sixinterceptions.[9][10]
AtGeorgia Southern University, Koo was a four-year contributor for theEagles, earning first-team all-conference honors in theSun Belt Conference in his final season, during which he converted 19 of 20field goal attempts. He was also named a finalist for theLou Groza Award, given annually to the best collegekicker in the nation.[11] At the conclusion of his college career, Koo ultimately converted 88.6% of his field goal attempts, a Georgia Southern team record.[9]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft9+3⁄8 in (1.76 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 29+1⁄4 in (0.74 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | |||||||||
| All values fromPro Day[12] | ||||||||||||
Koo signed with theLos Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the2017 NFL draft.[13] He won the starting job over incumbent kickerJosh Lambo following the conclusion of the preseason.[14] Koo became the fourth player in NFL history to have been born in South Korea.[a]
In the2017 season opener on the road against theDenver Broncos, Koo's game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game was blocked by the Broncos'Shelby Harris, and the Chargers lost 24–21.[16] The kick had little chance of succeeding after Denver overwhelmed the Chargers' line on the play.[17] An earlier attempt by Koo was successful, but it was called off after the Broncos had called atimeout right before the snap.[16] The following week, Koo missed a game-winning 44-yard attempt in a 19–17 loss to theMiami Dolphins.[17]
The following two weeks, Koo converted both of his field goal attempts and all four of hisextra points. However, the 0–4 Chargers waived him after Week 4, replacing him with 10-year veteranNick Novak. Chargers head coachAnthony Lynn stated that he wanted "someone with a little more consistency and experience" than Koo.[18][19] Lynn added that, "I think Koo is going to have a long NFL career ... A lot of rookies get cut early in their career, and they come back and play for a lot of years."[20] "Koo's a very talented kicker," Novak said. "He's got a live leg and a lot of talent."[20] Overall with the Chargers, Koo was 3-of-6 on field goals and recorded 8touchbacks on 14kickoffs.[21] Frank Schwab ofYahoo Sports wrote that the winless Chargers were "using [Koo] as a scapegoat."[22]
On January 14, 2019, Koo signed with theAtlanta Legends of theAlliance of American Football (AAF).[23][24] On February 9, he scored the first points in AAF regular season history, making a 38-yard field goal against theOrlando Apollos.[25] After the Legends started the2019 AAF season 0–3, on March 3, Koo kicked two field goals, including the 33-yard game winner, against theArizona Hotshots to seal the 14–11 Atlanta win.[26] The following week against theMemphis Express, he made all three of his attempts, including the game-winning 35-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining to secure a 23–20 victory, and was eventually named AAF Special Teams Player of the Week.[27] The league ceased operations during midseason in April 2019.[28] For the year, Koo had been a perfect 14-of-14 on his field goals.[21]
Following the suspension of the AAF, Koo worked out with theChicago Bears, who were in need of a kicker after releasingCody Parkey, but did not end up signing with the team.[29] After longtime kickerStephen Gostkowski was placed oninjured reserve, theNew England Patriots signed Koo to theirpractice squad on October 4, 2019.[30] On October 15, 2019, Koo was released.[31]
On October 29, 2019, Koo was signed by theAtlanta Falcons after they cut their longtime kicker and franchise leading scorer,Matt Bryant.[32] In his Falcons debut, Koo made all four of his field goals (including a 48-yarder) and both of his extra points in a 26–9 upset win over theNew Orleans Saints.[33]He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[34] In Week 13 against theNew Orleans Saints onThanksgiving Day, Koo delivered three successfulonside kicks, one of which was undone by a penalty, in the 26–18 loss.[35][36] In Week 14 against theCarolina Panthers, Koo made four field goals (including a then career-long 50-yarder), four extra points, and recovered a fumble forced by teammateDamontae Kazee on wide receiverGreg Dortch during a kickoff return in the 40–20 win.[37] For this performance, he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time.[38]
On February 18, 2020, Koo signed a one-year contract extension with the Falcons.[39] In Week 2 against theDallas Cowboys, Koo made all four of his field goal attempts, and all three of his extra points in the 39–40 loss. In Week 5 against the Panthers, Koo made both of his field goal attempts (including a career-long 54-yarder), in the 16-23 loss. In Week 6 against theMinnesota Vikings, Koo went 4-for-4 on field goals, as well as 4-for-4 on extra points, in the 40–23 win. In Week 8 against the Panthers, Koo made all four of his field goal attempts in the 25–17 win. In Week 12 against theLas Vegas Raiders, Koo made a career-high 5 field goals in the 43–6 blowout win. For his efforts in the month of November, Koo was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month.[40] Koo became the NFL's leading scorer following Week 13, having made 32 of 33 field goals and 23 extra points for a total of 119 points.[41] In Week 16 against theKansas City Chiefs, Koo missed a game-tying 39-yard field goal in the 14–17 loss after the ball was tipped by the Chiefs'Tanoh Kpassagnon.[42]
On December 20, 2020, Koo was selected to his firstPro Bowl.[43] He signed a contract extension with the Falcons on March 11, 2021.[44]
_JMG_4751_(51554822618)_(cropped).jpg)
In Week 3, Koo made a game winning 40-yard field goal as time expired to defeat theNew York Giants 17–14.[45] Koo made another game-winning field goal in Week 7 against the Dolphins to give the Falcons a 30–28 win as time expired.[46] Koo made his third game-ending field goal of the season in a 27–25 Week 9 road win over the Saints.[47]
On March 15, 2022, Koo signed a five-year, $24.25 million contract extension with the Falcons.[48] In Week 8 against the Panthers, Koo made a game winning 41-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 37–34 overtime win.[49] In Week 17 against theArizona Cardinals, Koo made another game-winning field goal to give the Falcons a 20–19 win as time expired.[50] Koo went 12/12 on field goals and 7/7 on extra points in the months of December and January. For his efforts, he was named NFC Special Teams Player Of The Month.[51]
In Week 2 against theGreen Bay Packers, Koo kicked a go-ahead game-winning field goal with less than a minute left to give the Falcons a 25–24 win.[52] In Week 5 against theHouston Texans, Koo kicked a field goal as time expired to give Atlanta a 21-19 victory.[53] For the third time, in Week 7 against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Koo kicked a game-winning 51 yard field goal as time expired and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.[54][55] Koo was again named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his Week 16 performance against theIndianapolis Colts, going 5-for-5 on field goals.[56]
In a Week 4 divisional matchup against theNew Orleans Saints, Koo went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a career-long 58-yard field goal to put the Falcons ahead in the final seconds as they won 26–24.[57] The following week against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, he hit a game-tying 52-yard field goal to end regulation as the Falcons went on to win in overtime 36–30.[58] On December 18, 2024, Koo was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury.[59]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Field goals | Extra points | Total points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGM | FGA | FG% | <20 | 20−29 | 30−39 | 40−49 | 50+ | Lng | XPM | XPA | XP% | ||||
| 2017 | LAC | 4 | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 41 | 9 | 9 | 100.0 | 18 |
| 2019 | ATL | 8 | 23 | 26 | 88.5 | 0–0 | 6–6 | 9–10 | 7–9 | 1–1 | 50 | 15 | 16 | 93.8 | 84 |
| 2020 | ATL | 15 | 37 | 39 | 94.9 | 0–0 | 10–10 | 11–12 | 8–9 | 8–8 | 54 | 33 | 36 | 91.7 | 144 |
| 2021 | ATL | 17 | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 0–0 | 8–8 | 9–9 | 6–7 | 4–5 | 54 | 30 | 30 | 100.0 | 111 |
| 2022 | ATL | 17 | 32 | 37 | 86.5 | 0–0 | 9–9 | 7–7 | 9–10 | 7–11 | 54 | 33 | 35 | 94.3 | 129 |
| 2023 | ATL | 17 | 32 | 37 | 86.5 | 0–0 | 10–10 | 10–10 | 9–11 | 3–6 | 54 | 27 | 28 | 96.4 | 123 |
| 2024 | ATL | 14 | 25 | 34 | 73.5 | 0–0 | 7–7 | 5–7 | 7–11 | 6–9 | 58 | 26 | 26 | 100.0 | 101 |
| Total | 92 | 179 | 208 | 86.1 | 0–0 | 52−52 | 51−55 | 47−61 | 29−40 | 58 | 173 | 180 | 96.1 | 710 | |
Koo married Ava Maurer in 2023.[60]
