Justin Yoon

Born in Ohio,{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/19584|title=Yoon speaks softly, carries a big boot|date=October 28, 2012|website=ESPN.com}} Yoon, who grew up playing ice hockey while living in Nashville, Tennessee,{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/34375|title=Milton Acad.'s Yoon more than just a kicker|date=October 22, 2014|website=ESPN.com}} played both ice hockey and football while attending Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts. He attended Harding Academy and Montgomery Bell Academy while living in Nashville. Despite starting football in eighth grade while at Harding Academy, Yoon was 9–11 on field goals, 38–39 on point after attempts and had 37 touchbacks in 53 kickoff attempts during his junior season at Milton. As a result, he was named PrepStar All-East Region for Massachusetts.{{cite web|url=http://www.ndinsider.com/recruiting/notre-dame-signee-justin-yoon-embraces-pressure-of-starting-opportunity/article_f2c61a36-def9-11e4-aa4a-379da9b516e7.html|title=Notre Dame signee Justin Yoon embraces pressure of starting opportunity |publisher=NDinsider.com |date=2015-04-09 |accessdate=2015-12-23}} Yoon then missed much of his senior season due to injury, but was still invited to and played in the Under Armour All-America Game where he kicked three field goals of 31, 32 and 47 yards, and hit all five PAT attempts.{{cite web|url=http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/justin_yoon_976665.html|title=#19 Justin Yoon |publisher=UND.com |date=2015-02-05 |accessdate=2015-12-23}} His 47-yard field goal was the longest in the Under Armour All-America Game's history.{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2311924-under-armour-all-america-game-2015-complete-box-score-and-recruit-analysis |title=Under Armour All-America Game 2015: Complete Box Score and Recruit Analysis |publisher=BleacherReport.com |date=2015-01-02 |accessdate=2015-12-23}} On February 4, 2015, National Signing Day, Yoon signed to play college football at Notre Dame.{{cite web|url=http://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/college-sports/notre-dame-university/2015/02/06/Notre-Dame-football-notebook.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227181914/http://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/college-sports/notre-dame-university/2015/02/06/Notre-Dame-football-notebook.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-02-27 |title=Notre Dame football notebook |publisher=ElkhartTruth.com |date=2015-02-06 |accessdate=2015-12-23 }}

{{College athlete recruit start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2015}}

{{College athlete recruit entry

| recruit = Justin Yoon

| position = Kicker

| hometown =Nashville, Tennessee

| highschool = Milton Academy

| feet = 5

| inches = 10

| weight = 185

| commitdate = June 24, 2014

| scout stars = 4

| rivals stars = 3

| espn grade = 78

}}

{{College athlete recruit end

| year = 2015

| rivals ref title = Notre Dame Football Commitment List

| scout ref title = Notre Dame College Football Recruiting Commits

| espn ref title = ESPN

| rivals school = notredame

| scout s = 109

| espn schoolid = 78

| scout overall = 1 (K)

| rivals overall = 1 (K), 1 (MA)

| espn overall = 2 (K), 1 (MA), 77 (regional)

| accessdate = December 16, 2015

| bball =

}}

As starting kicker Kyle Brindza had graduated and left for the NFL the previous spring, Yoon immediately became the starting kicker for the Fighting Irish. Sophomore Tyler Newsome handled the punting and kickoff duties while Yoon handled field goals and point after attempts. After beginning the season 3–5 on FG attempts, Yoon ended the season a perfect 12–12 on field goals. He quickly became affectionately known by the moniker “YOOOON” that Notre Dame fans cheered during his kicks.{{cite web|url= http://www.hercampus.com/school/notre-dame/hell-make-you-swoon-justin-yoon-19 |title= He'll Make You Swoon: Justin Yoon '19 |publisher=HerCampus.com |date=2015-09-25 |accessdate=2015-12-23}} By the end of the regular season, Yoon was 46–48 on PATs and 15–17 on FGs, including a 52-yarder in a win over Navy.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/gamelog/_/id/3932452/justin-yoon |title=Justin Yoon |publisher=ESPN.com |date=2015-12-22 |access-date=2015-12-23}} Ranking as high as fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, the 10–2 Fighting Irish finished the season eighth in the CFP rankings and earned a spot in the New Year's Six Fiesta Bowl. For his efforts, Yoon was named an ESPN Freshman All-American at the end of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14379853/texas-alabama-lead-2015-true-freshman-all-america-team |title=The ESPN.com True Freshman All-America Team |publisher=ESPN.com |date=2015-12-17 |access-date=2015-12-23}}

In 2018, during a 45–23 win over Virginia Tech, Yoon became Notre Dame's all-time leading scorer with 367 career points.{{cite web|last=Barnett|first=Zach|url=https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/10/07/notre-dame-k-justin-yoon-sets-irish-all-time-scoring-record/|title=Notre Dame K Justin Yoon sets Irish all-time scoring record|publisher=College Football Talk|date=October 7, 2018|accessdate=May 3, 2019}}

After being undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft, Yoon tried out for the Chicago Bears at their rookie mini-camp in early May,{{cite news|last=Finley|first=Patrick|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-kickers-robbie-gould-chris-blewitt-redford-jones-john-baron-elliott-fry-rookie-minicamp/|title=Derby weekend: All eyes on 8 kickers during Bears rookie minicamp|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|date=May 3, 2019|accessdate=May 3, 2019}} but was not signed.{{cite web|last=Eurich|first=Matt|url=https://247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/Article/John-Baron-Redford-Jones-Bears-release-131815571/|title=Chicago Bears release kickers John Baron and Redford Jones|publisher=247Sports.com|date=May 6, 2019|accessdate=June 12, 2019}}

Yoon is of Korean descent. His father, Jiseop, was an Olympic figure skater.{{cite web |url=http://www.irishsportsdaily.com/2015/02/05/behind-recruit-yoon-likes-big-stage/ |title=Behind The Recruit: Yoon Likes Big Stage |publisher=IrishSportsDaily.com |date=2015-02-05 |accessdate=2015-12-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105093912/http://www.irishsportsdaily.com/2015/02/05/behind-recruit-yoon-likes-big-stage/ |archivedate=2016-01-05 }} His mother, Mihwa, owns and manages a pharmacy.{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2811749-justin-yoon-sets-records-at-notre-dame-while-staying-true-to-south-korean-roots |title=Justin Yoon's Epic Journey |publisher=Bleacher Report}}{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2018/09/20/notre-dame-korean-placekicker-closing-school-scoring-record/1369151002/ |title=From clueless about football to kicking at Notre Dame: a journey from South Korea |publisher=USA Today}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://und.com/sports/football/roster/season/2018-19/player/justin-yoon/ Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoon, Justin}}

Category:1995 births

Category:American people of South Korean descent

Category:American sportspeople of Korean descent

Category:American football placekickers

Category:Living people

Category:Players of American football from Ohio

Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players

Category:South Korean players of American football

Category:Milton Academy alumni

Category:Asian American players of American football