He leads the NFL in points scored. He’s nailed 32 of 33 field-goal attempts, holding a current streak of 24. He’s made all seven of his field-goal attempts from 50 yards or more, with a long of 54. As of the NFL’s most recent announcement, he leads all place-kickers in the NFC for Pro Bowl votes.
And Younghoe Koo, who has cemented himself as one of the 2020 season’s top players at his position, will get the opportunity to go against the team that unceremoniously waived him as a rookie three years ago.
Koo was an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern in 2017 when he beat out Josh Lambo to be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting place-kicker. His time with the Chargers began anything but smoothly, however.
Koo had a game-tying field-goal attempt blocked with one second to go in the season opener against the Denver Broncos. A week later, he missed what would have been a game-winning 44-yarder against the Miami Dolphins. During the fifth week of practice, which followed a game that saw Koo connect on three field goals and an extra point, the Chargers pulled the plug and sent him packing.
Since, it’s been a long road to get to the moment he envisioned early in his career. It may have been hard to deal with in the moment, but Koo’s tough stint with the Chargers helped carve his path to become one of the league’s top performing place-kickers.
“That taught me a lot on how to navigate my energy and what to focus on,” Koo said. “When I first got to the Chargers, I didn’t know anything as a rookie. I just tried to live in the moment and do the best I can every day, every kick and every practice. Once I got cut, I realized those opportunities don’t come by too often, and I can’t take it for granted. I knew I wasn’t going to do that once I got another opportunity.”
Koo’s next stop didn’t come until early 2019, when he joined the now-defunct Alliance of American Football’s Atlanta Legends. Koo was impressive, making all 14 of his field-goal attempts before the league folded. Later that year, Koo was given a tryout opportunity with the Chicago Bears, who decided against signing him. In early October that year, Koo signed with the New England Patriots for their practice squad, but was released nine days later.
Two weeks after the Patriots cut him, Koo received a call from the Falcons. The Falcons were parting ways with veteran place-kicker Matt Bryant and needed a replacement. Koo was part of a tryout with Elliott Fry -- who happens now to be on the Falcons’ practice squad -- and won the job. Koo then made four field goals in a 26-9 win over the New Orleans Saints the following game.
In 19 total games with the Falcons, Koo has made 55 of 59 field-goal attempts.
Kicking with confidence this season, Koo has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches. Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris said his consistency at practice has him ready to call on Koo from long range without any worry.
“It allows me to have no hesitation to send him out there for a 50-yarder at any time at any given moment because of the confidence he possesses in the operation and the confidence he possesses in his leg,” Morris said. “He absolutely has come through clutch and been money all season. He will continue to be because he has the mindset you need for that.”
Where Koo really won over his teammates was on a kickoff last year against the Carolina Panthers. In the third quarter of a 40-20 victory, safety Damontae Kazee forced a fumble that Koo recovered and tried to advance. Koo then took a hard tackle, jumped up and started celebrating with his teammates.
The fact that Koo wanted to be a part of the play just like everyone else on the coverage unit didn’t go unnoticed.
“They don’t get many opportunities to go in there and put their nose in there,” special-teams coordinator Bernie Parmalee said. “Of course, it’s great to see him do it. He wasn’t back there sitting up there feathering saying, ‘You guys make the tackle.’ That’s pretty special.”
Koo has been reliable all season for the Falcons, looking the part of an experienced veteran. On Sunday, he’ll head back to the city where his pro career began and against the first team that told him he was no longer needed.
He’s learned a lot since then and has taken each experience of being released as motivation. What he learned and subsequently applied has paid off, with Koo being one of the Falcons’ brightest spots of the 2020 season.
“Nothing really changes for me,” Koo said. “Those feelings that I had when I was cut from the Chargers and the Patriots -- after the Patriots, I just had the mindset of staying ready for the next opportunity, and when it comes I’ll make it count. Now, it doesn’t really change much. I still remember those feelings. That’s going to be the fire in me to the best version of me whenever I can.”
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