New York Giants kicker Younghoe Koo kicks a field goal during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago on Nov. 9. [AP/YONHAP]
Younghoe Koo made his debut on Sunday for the New York Giants and delivered a strong performance in a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears, with CBS Sports describing his performance as “perfect.”
Koo attempted four kicks — two field goals and two extra points — and converted all of them to score eight points in a game against the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Koo’s story had taken many turns. After being released early by the Los Angeles Chargers in his rookie year in 2017, he spent two years fighting his way back into the NFL before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2019.
By his eighth professional season, Koo had built a strong resume. In 2021, he became the first Korean to make the Pro Bowl — the NFL's all-star game — posting a 94.9 percent field-goal success rate. He later signed a lucrative contract reported at 6 billion won ($4.12 million) per year.
However, the NFL proved unforgiving. After a costly miss in this season’s opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that would have tied the game in the closing seconds, his role began to shrink. The Falcons benched him in the second week of the season and when his replacement excelled, the team released Koo on Sept. 19.
With most rosters set just after the season began, opportunities were scarce. But the Giants signed him to their practice squad on Sept. 23. For an eighth-year veteran in his 30s, it marked a steep fall — practice squads are typically filled with players in their early 20s seeking to break into the league.
But Koo didn’t give up. He worked his way back, gradually outperforming highly touted prospect Jude McAtamney and catching the attention of head coach Brian Daboll.
After Graham Gano, the Giants’ starting kicker, suffered a neck injury following Week 9, Daboll promoted Koo to the first-team roster.
Koo responded with confidence in Sunday's game. In the second quarter, he tied the game with an extra point, then hit a 32-yard field goal to give the Giants a lead. He added another extra point in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth.
Despite his performance, the Giants gave up 14 points in the fourth quarter and lost 24-20.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]