“I think my parents saw the athleticism and potential there, so I’m just grateful for the opportunity that I got,” Younghoe Koo earlier stated in an interview. It indeed reflected his gratefulness for his parents, Hyunseo and  Seungmae. They moved to America from South Korea to shape his athletic career. With his parent’s immense support, the Korean-American player has established his name in the NFL.

From Georgia Southern Eagles to now Falcons, his NFL trajectory is pretty impressive. Since the Chargers drafted him as an undrafted free agent, he continues to add accolades to his list. Securing a Pro Bowl nomination and setting a new franchise record for passing made field goals in a single season with 37 in 2020 with the Falcons, it showcases his skills. And, obviously, for these dominating skills, exGeorgia Southern Eagles player Falcons offered him a five-year, $24.25 million contract extension before the 2022 season. Clearly, it won’t be possible without the off-field backing of his parents.

Who are Seungmae Koo and Hyunseo Koo?

Falcons kicker, Younghoe, 30, shares a healthy bond with his mom, Seungmae Choi. She has been the constant pillar of his support throughout his journey. Apart from being a supportive mom, she is also involved in the medical industry.  Seungmae has served as a professional nurse in a hospital in Georgia. However, there is very limited information available about her personal and academic background.

Raising her NFL son initially in South Korea, she later shifted to the US with her husband Hyunseo Koo to focus on Younghoe’s education and athletic career. This decision likely helped Younghoe shape his NFL journey. When he was just 12, he lived with his mother in Ridgewood, New Jersey. During that time, his father, Hyungseo, was in Seoul, South Korea, for his job and often visited New York to meet them.

In 2020, on Mother’s Day, his bond with his mom went viral. He shared multiple beautiful snaps with his mom on this occasion on his Instagram account. “Happy Mother’s Day,” this is how the NFL player wished his mom.

And, just like his mom, his dad, too played an elemental role in shaping his athletic career. Hyunseo Koo served as a business professor at Induk University in Seoul. Beyond his professional career, he is an encouraging dad who motivated him to carve his path in the NFL.

How did Younghoe Koo’s parents help their son to achieve the NFL dream?

Earlier, during the candid discussion with Bill Simmons Podcast in 2017, the Falcons kicker himself disclosed the major role of his dad, who motivated him to choose football over soccer in high school. He revealed his teammate’s dad’s and coach acknowledged him that Koo had a future in football. “My middle school coach, my teammate’s dad, came to my house and told my dad, ‘He has a future in football,” he explained.

The former Chargers player also highlighted how his father later concentrated on his football abilities. “Because my dad looked at it like I was just kicking a football. But my middle school explained to my dad, ‘You can get a scholarship, and you can have a future in this,” Koo further asserted.

And, he ultimately attained a full scholarship offer from Georgia Southern University. Not just this, he also became a finalist for the Lou Groza Award. Then, he entered the NFL world as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers. Later, he signed with the Falcons where he is currently serving as a kicker.

Impressively, not only for his dad, but he is also grateful to his mom for his current standings in the football world. In 2017, when he received his degree from Georgia Southern College, he expressed his deep gratitude for his mother.

Through a post on his X handle, he shared a lovely picture with his mom. “Couldn’t have done it without you ma!” he also captioned his post. Clearly, such instances demonstrate that his parents carved his path in the high stakes of the football world.