Younghoe Koo has kicked his way into a record book, even if it’s not an NFL record.
The brand new football league, the Alliance of American Football, boasts a slew of former members of the Los Angeles Chargers, including three of the team’s former kickers. One of those kickers, Koo, became the player responsible for the first points in the history of the new league.
On Saturday night, Koo’s Atlanta Legends took on the Orlando Apollos. With 6:15 remaining in the first quarter, Koo drilled a 38-yard field goal to put Atlanta up 3-0. It would be all downhill from there for the Legends, who lost the game 40-6.
Koo was able to beat out Josh Lambo back in 2017 in a move that has proven more curious as the months and years go by. He played just four games for the Chargers, missing half of his six field-goal attempts, including a miserable attempt that would have won a game against the Miami Dolphins.
However, the AAF is designed to be a league that complements the NFL, a league that gives players a chance to continue their careers and perhaps get back to the big dance. For Koo, another team in the NFL could look at him as a player to, at the very least, bring in for a kicking competition in training camp.
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The Atlanta Falcons, for instance, just cut long-time kicker Matt Bryant. Giorgio Tavecchio is the only kicker on their roster and he doesn’t exactly instill confidence.
Koo, a graduate of Georgia Southern University now playing for Atlanta’s AAF team, could easily become a favorite among the local crowd. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see the Falcons sign him once the Alliance season ends.
With all of that said, when you enter a sports trivia contest at your local bar or hangout 15-20 years from now and you are asked: “Who scored the first points in the history of the Alliance of American Football”? y
You’ll have your answer.