Younghoe Koo facts for kids

Younghoe Koo (pronounced YUNG-way) was born on August 3, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea. He is a professional American football player who is a placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League (NFL). A placekicker is a special player whose job is to kick the football through the goalposts for points, either after a touchdown (an extra point) or as a field goal.

Koo was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2020, which is an honor for top players in the NFL. That same year, he was also one of the best scorers in the league. He is known for being very accurate with his kicks and for his special skill in performing "onside kicks," which are tricky kicks designed to get the ball back for his team.

Before joining the NFL, Koo played college football for the Georgia Southern Eagles. He was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2016, an award given to the best college kicker in the country. He first signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 but was released later that season. After playing in another league called the Alliance of American Football (AAF) and making all his field goals, he returned to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019.

Quick facts for kids
Younghoe Koo

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
Los Angeles Chargers (2017) Atlanta Legends (2019) New England Patriots (2019)* Atlanta Falcons (2019–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2020) NFL scoring co-leader (2020) First-team All-Sun Belt (2016)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2024
Field goals made: 179 Field goals attempted: 208 Field goal percentage: 86.1 Longest field goal: 58 Touchbacks: 91
Player stats at PFR

Early Life and Moving to the U.S.

Younghoe Koo was born in Seoul, South Korea, on August 3, 1994. When he was a child, he loved playing soccer. He even won a kicking competition in South Korea.

When he was 12 years old, Koo moved to the United States. He went to live with his mother in New Jersey. His mother had moved there two years earlier to work as a nurse. His father stayed in Seoul, where he was a professor at a university.

Koo played football for Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey. In his senior year, he was named the team's most valuable player. He was good at both special teams (like kicking) and defense, where he caught six interceptions.

College Football Career

Younghoe Koo played college football at Georgia Southern University. He was a key player for the Eagles team for four years. In his last season, he was named one of the best players in the Sun Belt Conference.

That year, he made 19 out of 20 field goal attempts, showing how accurate he was. He was also a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the top college kicker in the nation. By the end of his college career, Koo had made 88.6% of his field goal attempts. This was a record for Georgia Southern.

Professional Football Journey

Starting with the Los Angeles Chargers

After college, Koo was not chosen in the main NFL draft. However, he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. This means a team signed him even though he wasn't drafted. He won the starting kicker job for the Chargers. He became only the fourth NFL player ever born in South Korea.

In his first game, a kick to tie the game was blocked, and the Chargers lost. The next week, he missed a kick that would have won the game. Even though he made his kicks in the following two weeks, the Chargers released him after four games. The coach said he wanted a kicker with more experience. Many rookie players get released early in their careers but go on to have long careers.

Playing for the Atlanta Legends

In 2019, Koo joined the Atlanta Legends in a new league called the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He quickly showed how good he was. He scored the first points in AAF history with a 38-yard field goal.

He helped the Legends win games by making important kicks. In one game, he kicked a 33-yard field goal to win 14–11. In another, he made a 35-yard field goal with only nine seconds left to win 23–20. He was even named the AAF Special Teams Player of the Week. The league stopped playing games in April 2019. Koo had made all 14 of his field goal attempts that season.

Brief Time with the New England Patriots

After the AAF stopped, Koo tried out for some NFL teams. The New England Patriots signed him to their practice squad in October 2019. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster. He was released from the Patriots practice squad later that month.

Joining the Atlanta Falcons

Younghoe Koo playing for the Falcons in 2019

On October 29, 2019, the Atlanta Falcons signed Younghoe Koo. He quickly made a big impact. In his first game with the Falcons, he made all four of his field goals and both of his extra points. This helped the Falcons win a big upset game. For this great performance, he was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In another game, he successfully performed three onside kicks, which are special kicks designed to give the kicking team a chance to get the ball back. He also made a career-long 50-yard field goal in a game against the Carolina Panthers. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week again for this game.

2020 Season Highlights

Koo signed a new contract with the Falcons in 2020. He continued to be a very reliable kicker. In many games, he made all his field goal attempts and extra points. In one game, he made a career-long 54-yard field goal. He made a career-high 5 field goals in a big win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

For his excellent play in November, he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month. By Week 13, Koo was the NFL's leading scorer. He had made 32 out of 33 field goals. In December 2020, Younghoe Koo was chosen for his first Pro Bowl, a great honor for any NFL player.

2021 Season Highlights

Koo playing in 2021

Koo continued to be a clutch kicker for the Falcons in 2021. He made three game-winning field goals as time ran out. These kicks helped the Falcons win close games against the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and New Orleans Saints.

2022 Season Highlights

In March 2022, Koo signed a new five-year contract with the Falcons. He kept making important kicks. In Week 8, he made a game-winning 41-yard field goal in overtime against the Panthers. In Week 17, he made another game-winning field goal as time expired against the Arizona Cardinals. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his perfect kicking in December and January.

2023 Season Highlights

Koo continued his streak of game-winning kicks in 2023. In Week 2, he kicked a field goal with less than a minute left to help the Falcons win against the Green Bay Packers. In Week 5, he kicked a field goal as time expired to win against the Houston Texans. For the third time that season, he kicked a game-winning 51-yard field goal as time ran out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for this performance. He also earned this award again in Week 16.

2024 Season Highlights

In Week 4 of the 2024 season, Koo made all four of his field goals. This included a career-long 58-yard field goal that put the Falcons ahead in the final seconds. The next week, he kicked a 52-yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime, which the Falcons then won. Later in the season, Koo was placed on injured reserve due to a hip injury.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Personal Life

Younghoe Koo married Ava Maurer in 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Younghoe Koo para niños