The New York Giants‘ new kicker is no stranger to the Big Apple.
Veteran Younghoe Koo, who signed with the Giants practice squad to potentially replace injured kicker Graham Gano, opened up Thursday about his experience growing up in Northern New Jersey — not far from where the Giants will host the Los Angeles Chargers in East Rutherford on Sunday.
Koo, a 2020 Pro Bowler who spent the past seven seasons kicking for the Atlanta Falcons, was released Sept. 19 by the Falcons. He signed with the Giants on Tuesday.
Koo has not missed a kick at MetLife Stadium in his pro career. He went 3 for 3, including two fields and the game-winner for the Falcons on the last play of their 17-14 victory over the Giants on Sept. 26, 2021 — the only time he has played near his childhood home as a pro.
Kicking For Giants ‘More Special’ For Younghoe Koo
Koo was born in Seoul, South Korea and has ties to Greater Atlanta while kicking at Georgia Southern. But he also kicked for Ridgewood High School in the affluent Bergen County suburb of New York, since his family moved from Seoul to Ridgewood when he was a youngster.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Koo said Thursday. “But it is definitely a little more special that I grew up in Ridgewood. Moving to Ridgewood from Korea when I was in middle school and then making friends here and all that stuff, and being raised in Ridgewood, it is definitely special, for sure.”
Ridgewood High School sits just 13 miles north of MetLife Stadium, though Koo said he was not a sports fan and did not root for the Giants — or any team — while he was living in New Jersey while growing up.
Giants special teams coach Michael Ghobrial shared what made Koo alluring for the Giants to sign.
“He’s a veteran kicker that’s kicked in the league for a long time, kicked at a Pro Bowl level,” Ghobrial said. “You can tell, the little bit I’ve gotten to know him, there is an authentic confidence that you see with him, that the situation is not too big for him and you see that amount to success.
“To me, it’s a no-brainer to me why he’s had so many game-winning kicks. There’s a level of confidence he goes out there knowing he can execute at a high level.”
Giants Holding Kicking Competition
Koo wasn’t the only kicker added to New York’s practice squad this week, since the Giants also signed Jude McAtamney, who kicked in Gano’s absence during his rookie year, 2024.
McAtamney does not have the track record of Koo, who has made 85.8 percent of field goals and 96.2 percent of extra points in his 93-game NFL career.
But Koo and McAtamney are in a competition to fill in for Gano, who was injured pregame ahead of the Giants’ home game against the Kansas City Chiefs and will not play against the Chargers on Sunday.
Yet, the idea of a competition is concerning according to Koo.
“It’s the first time that I’m in competition, and it’s not the last time I’ll be in competition,” Koo said. “That’s part of the job. I’m definitely going to embrace it.”