On The Trail

          UA jersey tour: K Justin Yoon

          Justin Yoon admits he’s usually a really confident guy, but Monday afternoon at his Under Armour All-America Game jersey presentation he was the exact opposite.

          When he had to give a short speech in front of family, friends and classmates during the presentation, Yoon said the emotion of being selected as one of the top high school football players in America caught up with him and suddenly he was speechless.

          “I honestly couldn’t even speak, I had so many emotions flowing through me,” Yoon, who is a Notre Dame commitment and the No. 2 ranked kicker in the country, said.

          “It kind of scared me at the first few moments. But I was finally able to handle the pressure. It was awesome that all of my friends came. Every one that has supported me and who I respect came by, so I'm very grateful to them. I appreciate everything they've done for me. I never ever thought I would be in this type of situation.”

          That’s true, especially when you consider Yoon is still relatively new to the game of football.

          The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Yoon said he always envisioned himself on the soccer pitch, instead of the gridiron. In fact, he didn’t even start playing football until the eighth grade and once he did things just clicked.

          “I didn't even know what football was,” Yoon said. “I was kicking goal kicks, corner kicks and free kicks in soccer. That has really helped with my distance. After that the football coach saw me and told me to try it out. That's where it started.

          “It's is a different ball and not just anyone can kick a football like they do a soccer ball, but for some reason it hit well with me. The football just really fit me. I'm not exactly sure how or why, but it just clicked right away. The transition from soccer to football was actually really smooth.”

          It was so smooth that Yoon quickly became one of the most heavily recruited kicking prospects in the country.

          As a junior, he was nine of 11 in field goals with a long of 48 yards, and he also connected on 38 of 39 extra points. He was also impressive on his kickoffs, recording 38 touchbacks. Those numbers allowed him to pick up offers from Notre Dame, Boston College, Northwestern, Stanford and Texas A&M. He picked the Irish in June and hasn’t looked back.

          “Honestly, I never knew football could be that much of a big deal,” Yoon said. “I was new to it. After all the offers and everything, I learned how big it was. It was immense. It's a huge deal. Since my freshman year, I thought I was doing all of this for fun. I just love kicking. I never knew it would help me have a better future. I'm grateful for it.”

          Yoon has big expectations for his time at Notre Dame.

          “They asked me if I could start as a freshman, and I told them 'Yes.'” Yoon said. “So I'm looking forward to starting the season and seeing if I can make a contribution. But I have to compete. They're going to have other kickers there that are willing to fight for that spot, but I'll be fighting, too. I also want to be one of the better kickers in the country, and I want to win the Lou Groza Award.”

          But before he arrives in South Bend, he's looking forward to his time at the Under Armour Game. After injuring his back in the first game of his senior season, the week of practices and the game itself will be an opportunity to test himself under pressure.

          “It'll be the first time I'll be kicking on national television,” he said. “So there will be a lot of pressure with that, but I'll be ready for it. I promise I'll do better than when I had to give my speech at the ceremony.”