Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Younghoe Kool was born August 3, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea. He is a kicker in the National Football League.

Koo was a four-year contributor for the Georgia Southern Eagles, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Sun Belt Conference in his final season, during which he converted 19 of 20 field-goal attempts. Koo was also named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the best college kicker in the nation. At the conclusion of his college career, Koo ultimately converted 88.6% of his field-goal attempts, a Georgia Southern team record.

Koo signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. He won the starting job over incumbent kicker Josh Lambo following the conclusion of the preseason. Koo became the fourth player in NFL history to have been born in South Korea. After longtime kicker Stephen Gostkowski was placed on injured reserve, the New England Patriots signed Koo to their practice squad on October 4, 2019. On October 15, 2019, Koo was released. On October 29, 2019, Koo was signed by the Atlanta Falcons after they cut their longtime kicker and franchise leading scorer, Matt Bryant. In 2020 he was selected to his first Pro Bowl.

On March 15, 2022, Koo signed a five-year, $24.25 million contract extension with the Falcons.