10 things you need to know about new Falcons kicker Parker Romo
MINNEAPOLIS — The Falcons, under the relative cloak of darkness provided by college football frenzy on Saturday, made a major roster move at the kicker position.
While Georgia was battling it out with Tennessee, Parker Romo, who was signed to the practice squad Tuesday, was promoted to the 53-man roster and will be the kicker when the Falcons (0-1) face the Vikings (1-0) at 8:20 p.m. Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
It’s the Falcons’ first of five prime-time games this season.
Younghoe Koo, who has been struggling since last season, was left at home and did not make the trip. Koo missed nine field goals last season, but the Falcons finally had enough — for now, at least — after he missed a 44-yard field goal that would have tied the game late against the Buccaneers last Sunday. The Falcons went on to lose, 23-20.
“I came in and did really well, and they decided to keep me here,” Romo said Thursday. “Now, I’m working as hard as I can to get on the field.”
Here are 10 things you need to know about Parker Romo:
- Romo, 28, hails from Peachtree City.
- He is 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds.
- Romo beat out five other veterans for the spot: Zane Gonzalez, Michael Badgley, Ryan Heicher, Ben Sauls and Maddux Trujillo.
- Romo, cut loose from the Patriots after the exhibition season, made 11 of 12 field-goal attempts in four games with the Vikings late last season. He missed a 43-yard field goal wide left in a 23-22 win over the Cardinals on Dec. 1. He made a long of 55 yards earlier in that game.
- Romo was an All-State soccer player at McIntosh High School. He played for coach Lee Belknap and was a two-year letterman, earned first-team All-District as a placekicker and punter. He also ran track and field.
- He’s the son of Brenda and Jimmy Romo and has two older siblings, Austin and Sara. He graduated with a degree in economics and is pursuing a master’s degree in instructional technology. Romo is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and is married to his wife, Lauren, according to his Virginia Tech bio.
- Romo used the transfer portal in college, moving from Central Arkansas (2016), Tulsa (2018, walk-on) and Virginia Tech (2019-21).
- Romo is well traveled in the professional ranks. He was with New Orleans (2022), San Antonio of the United Football League (2023), Detroit (2023), Chicago (2023), Minnesota (2024) and New England (2024 and this summer). His NFL experience almost is entirely on practice squads, except for the four games with the Vikings.
- By midafternoon Friday, the Falcons had not made a decision on who would be the kicker for Sunday’s game. “We are still evaluating,” special teams coordinator Marquice Williams said. He later added, “We’ll make a decision as we go on. It’s a collaborative decision between myself, Rah (Raheem Morris) and (general manager) Terry (Fontenot) as we move forward.”
- In college, Romo made 20 of 27 field goals (74.1%), with a long of 52 yards. He also made 51 of 52 extra points. Romo also punted at Virginia Tech and averaged 44.3 yards per punt in 2019.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
