The Atlanta Falcons have a realistic chance of making the playoffs as division winners. That is why having a special, historic moment to celebrate for a potential playoff contender was so appropriate. Having one of the best special teams players on a team that is struggling to separate itself in the NFC South could be the difference.
Atlanta Falcons history when it was most needed
While some records are set during games that are already well out of hand, or when season standings are well established, Younghoe Koo was not one of them.
The Falcons held a slim lead in the fourth quarter against the divisional opponent Saints at home. With a one-possession lead, the 29-year-old kicker trotted onto the field to increase the margin to two possessions.
He went through his usual approach routine, signaled for the snap, and calmly drilled the attempt through the field goal posts, just as he had done numerous times in college and for his NFL team. What some in the stands may not have realized at the time was that Koo had just surpassed the NFL’s all-time field goal percentage of 90% (minimum 100 attempts).
For an Atlanta Falcons team that may need several tie breakers later in the season, forcing an otherwise hounding and opportunistic Saints team to play out of their element, chasing a second score, could be a pivotal moment in their season.
Younghoe Koo’s Atlanta Falcons journey
Koo played soccer as a child in South Korea. Soccer is a global sport, so this is not unusual for someone living in another country. He decided to concentrate most of his efforts here because he admits to being a poor student.
Moving to America as a middle schooler and not knowing enough English to communicate with his classmates, sports became a source of comfort for him once more. He was able to find something in common and a way to connect with his new friends after switching to American football. He had played soccer, so the kicking aspect of football came naturally to him, as he had honed his technique over years of kicking a soccer ball.
As a senior in New Jersey, Koo was named team MVP and received regional first-team honors for his contributions as a defender and in the kicking game. He went on to have an impressive collegiate career at Georgia Southern, setting school records and leading the nation in scoring.
Atlanta Falcons kicker has had a rocky start in the NFL.
He signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent and quickly rose to the position of starting kicker. It was at this point that complacency crept in, and a valuable but difficult lesson would shape the rest of his career.
He was terminated after four weeks.
Living in limbo for months allowed Koo to self-reflect, form new habits, and connect with other free agents awaiting a call from a team. This prompted him to say the following:
I wanted to be better than what I was with the Chargers because what I went through didn’t mean anything if I didn’t improve. That’s the kind of growth mindset I picked up.
He now holds the all-time field goal percentage with someone who went on to have a successful career with the Atlanta Falcons. It’s safe to say that his mental shift has resulted in more than the intended positive effect.
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