Graham Clark Gano (born April 9, 1987) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Spe ...
for the
New York Giants of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
and was signed by the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2009. Gano has also played for the
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League. The team played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the Unive ...
in the
United Football League, the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
. During his time with the Panthers, he achieved the franchise's record for
longest field goal at 63 yards in 2018.
Early years
Gano's father, Mark, was a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Master Chief Petty Officer and Vietnam veteran who was stationed at Canadian Forces Base,
Gander, Newfoundland
Gander is a town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately south of Gander Bay, south of Twillingate and east of Grand Falls-Windsor. Located on the nor ...
when Gano was born. Gano has a long line of ancestors who served in the military, including his great grandfather Richard Gano, and grandfather Raymond of
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the E ...
. Gano grew up in
Cantonment, Florida
Cantonment is a town in Escambia County, Florida. It is a suburb of Pensacola, and is located in the Pensacola metropolitan Area. Cantonment is located north of Gonzalez, and south of Molino. It is centered around U.S. Route 29, and extends to ...
, near
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
and attended
J. M. Tate High School
J.M. Tate High School is a secondary school in Cantonment, Florida, United States. The school is part of the Escambia County School District.
History
Tate High School was founded in 1878 by James Madison Tate Sr., a American Civil War, Civil Wa ...
, Home of the Mighty Mighty Aggies, where he was a two-sport star in
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and track. In
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
, he was an All-American First-team selection by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' and the nation's third-ranked kicker by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
.
Gano played in the CaliFlorida All-Star game, completing a 50-yard field goal in the game. During his senior season, Gano kicked three field goals over 55 yards (57, 64, and 65 yards) and had a 71-yard field goal made which was negated by a penalty. A total of 36 of his 38 kickoffs were
touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to tra ...
s and he averaged better than 42 yards per punt as a senior.
As a standout
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
athlete, Gano was one of the state's top performers in the sprinting events. He captured three state titles in track at the 2005 FHSAA 3A District 1, winning the
100-meter dash, with a time of 10.55 seconds, the
200-meter dash, with a time of 21.70 seconds, and the
400-meter dash, with a time of 48.00 seconds.
College career
Gano attended
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
from 2005 to 2008, playing as a kicker and punter for the
Florida State Seminoles.
During his senior year in 2008, Gano finished first in the
FBS for field goals made, percentage of field goals converted and 50-yard field goals made, and was the
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
winner as the nation's top kicker. He was one of only two kickers in college to make over 90% of his field goal attempts in the 2008 season. He was the highest scoring kicker in America and fourth overall in the FBS in scoring. He was a
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
,
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
, and
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...
first-team All-American. Gano was listed as Walter Camp,
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, ''Sporting News'', SI.com, and
Phil Steele
Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, pr ...
second-team All-American. He earned All-ACC First-team honors as well.
Gano was four-time ACC Specialist of the Week for his kicking performances against
NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
,
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
,
Clemson, and
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. He also was a two-time Lou Groza Star of the Week honoree for his performances in Florida State's victories over NC State and Clemson. He was named offensive special teams player of the year for the Seminoles as selected by the Florida State coaching staff. He led the ACC in field goals per game with a career-high 2.2 field goals per game average. Gano has the highest field goal percentage in the ACC; in 2008, he made 92.3 percent of his field goal attempts (24 of 26) and led the league in field goals made with 24. He was also the ACC's leading scorer with 105 points and a 9.5 points per game average. Gano is the only kicker in FSU history to convert over 90% of his field goals in a season. He is one of only two punters ever to be named the MVP of a bowl game, when he was named the Most Valuable Player in the
2008 Champs Sports Bowl. He holds the Seminoles single season record for 50+-yard field goals, completing five straight attempts from 50 yards or longer. Despite only kicking for one season, Gano finished second in career 50-yard field goals at FSU behind two time Lou Groza Award winner
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...
.
Professional career
Baltimore Ravens
Gano signed with the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
as an undrafted free agent immediately after the
2009 NFL Draft. After the Ravens named
Steve Hauschka as their kicker, they waived Gano on September 5.
Las Vegas Locomotives
Gano was signed by the
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League. The team played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the Unive ...
of the
United Football League after being cut by the Ravens. He earned the first points for the league after converting a 32-yard
field goal, and hit a then-UFL record long field goal of 53 yards. He was responsible for the winning field goal which gave the Locomotives the first ever UFL championship. He finished the season leading the league in scoring and field goals made.
Washington Redskins
On December 8, 2009, Gano was signed by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, replacing veteran
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
. He successfully connected on his first career NFL field goal attempt, a 46-yard attempt against the
Oakland Raiders on December 13, 2009. He appeared in three games in the 2009 season.
Gano continued to play for the Redskins in the 2010 season. He cemented his status as a clutch kicker for the Redskins by contributing to three overtime game-winning field goals when playing against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
,
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, and
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
. Gano earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against Jacksonville. In the 2010 season, Gano converted all 28 extra point attempts and 24 of 35 field goal attempts.
Due to Gano's inconsistency in the 2010 season, the Redskins brought
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...
to compete. After a good performance in the preseason and horrible performance by Graham in the first preseason game, Gano was kept on the final roster before the start of the new season. In Week 9 against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in the
2011 season, he kicked a 59-yard field goal, which broke the Redskins' franchise record of 57 yards.
At the end of the season, he made 31 of 41 field goal attempts with five of the ten misses being blocked kicks.
On March 3, 2012, the Redskins tendered a contract with Gano establishing exclusive negotiating rights and guaranteeing him a league minimum salary. He was once again forced to compete for his job after the team signed
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is a former American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the University of Illinois. Rackers was drafted by ...
. Originally it seemed that once again, Gano kept his spot on the Redskins' roster after Rackers was cut by the team on August 27. In a surprise transaction by the Redskins, Gano was released the next day after the team signed veteran
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
.
Carolina Panthers
On November 20, 2012, Gano was signed by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, replacing
Justin Medlock
Justin Charles Medlock (born October 23, 1983) is an American professional football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college foo ...
. He played in the last six games of the season under head coach
Ron Rivera
Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962), nicknamed "Riverboat Ron", is an American football head coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He attended the University of California, Berkeley in the early 198 ...
and converted nine out of eleven field goal attempts. In the 2013 season, he converted all 42 extra point attempts and 24 of 27 field goal attempts.
On February 28, 2014, it was announced that Gano had signed a new four-year contract with the Panthers worth $12.4 million. He converted all 34 extra point attempts and 29 of 35 field goal attempts.
On November 2, 2015, Gano kicked a game-winning 52-yard field goal in overtime against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. The successful field goal helped move the Panthers to a franchise-best 7–0 start.
Gano had an NFL-leading 62 points in November 2015, going 15-for-17 on field goals and 17-for-18 on extra-point attempts. For his performance during November, Gano was awarded the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month He became only the second kicker in Panthers' franchise history to win the award (the first was
John Kasay
John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
in September
1996). Through the first 12 weeks of the season, Gano ranked second in NFL in points scored with 110, trailing only
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
kicker,
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots.
He was selected in the fourth round of th ...
(111). During the Panthers 38–35 victory over the
New York Giants, Gano kicked his second walk-off winner this season as time expired to move the Panthers to a 14-0 record. Gano finished the 2015 NFL season with 146 points, breaking
John Kasay‘s team record for most in a season (145, 1996).
During the season, he also topped the NFL with 69 touchbacks and a 72.0 yard average kickoff distance.
In
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...
, Gano was one-of-two on field goals and converted the lone extra point for the Panthers. In the third quarter with the Panthers trailing by a score of 13–7, Gano missed a field goal that hit off the right side of the goal post. The Panthers went on to fall to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
by a score of 24–10.
In the 2016 season, Gano converted 31 of 34 extra point attempts and 30 of 38 field goal attempts.
On September 17, 2017, in Week 2, Gano scored all of the Panthers' points in a 9–3 victory over the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. The three field goals he converted were a 34-yarder, 28-yarder, and a 20-yarder.
In the
2017-18 Playoffs, Gano missed a 25-yard field goal attempt early in a Wild Card Round against the Saints, but would go on to make four field goals, including a 58-yard field goal, tying
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich (born April 28, 1967) is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent. His father Mijalce and his mother Slobodanka are from Ljubojno, North Macedonia. He played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and brief ...
for the longest field goal made in the postseason in NFL history. In the 2017 season, Gano finished with 34 of 37 extra points made and 29 of 30 field goals made.
Gano was named to his first Pro Bowl in
2017 as an injury replacement for
Greg Zuerlein.
On March 6, 2018, Gano signed a four-year, $17 million contract extension with the Panthers. On October 7, 2018, Gano kicked a 63-yard field goal game-winning field goal as time expired in a 33-31 victory over the
New York Giants, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The kick also tied the non-altitude assisted field goal record set in 1970 by
Tom Dempsey
Thomas John Dempsey (January 12, 1947April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and ...
and tied in 2012 by
David Akers
David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
. He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. He was placed on injured reserve on December 19, 2018, after sitting out the previous two games due to injury. He finished the season having converted 30 of 33 extra point attempts and 14 of 16 field goal attempts.
On August 30, 2019, Gano was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2019 season. He was released by the team on July 30, 2020.
New York Giants
2020 season
Gano signed with the
New York Giants on August 19, 2020.
Gano set a Giants franchise record in Week 5 when he successfully kicked three field goals of 50 or more yards at Dallas (50, 54 and 55 yards). In Week 9 against his former team, the
Washington Football Team
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...
(then known as the Washington Redskins), Gano was a perfect two for two on extra point attempts and a perfect three for three on field goal attempts during the 23–20 win. Gano was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Week 9.
On November 15, 2020, Gano signed a three-year, $14 million contract extension through 2023. On November 17, 2020, Gano was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. He was activated on November 28, 2020. He finished the 2020 season with 21 of 23 extra point attempts converted and 31 of 32 field goal attempts converted.
2021 season
On October 3, 2021, Gano missed a 35 yard field goal against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
ending his streak of most consecutive field goals made of just 37 which tied with
Jason Myers
Jason Myers (born May 12, 1991) is an American football placekicker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Marist Red Foxes football, Marist.
Professional career Arena Football League
In th ...
in fourth place in the NFL record. Gano was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for making all 3 field goals in Week 7 game against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
. In the 2021 season, Gano converted all 17 extra point attempts and 29 of 33 field goal attempts.
2022 season
On May 10, 2022,
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Kayvon Thibodeaux ( ; born December 15, 2000) is an American football outside linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Los Angeles, he was named ''USA Today'' High School Football Defensive Player of ...
donated $50,000 to a charity to get the #5 jersey from Gano, who switched from #5 to #9. In Week 2 game against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
, Gano made four field goals in the 19-16 win and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Career statistics
UFL
NFL
Redskins franchise records
* Franchise record for longest field goal, 59 yards.
Panthers franchise records
* Extra Points: season (56 in 2015), game (five on November 22, 2015, against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
), playoff season (10 in 2015), playoff game (five on January 24, 2016, against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
)
*Longest Field Goal: set the franchise record with a 63 yard game-winning field goal over the Giants on October 7, 2018.
Giants franchise records
* Most consecutive field goals made (30 in 2020) for the
New York Giants. This is the franchise record. The streak lasted until Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season, ending at 37.
References
External links
New York Giants bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gano, Graham
1987 births
Living people
Scottish players of American football
American football placekickers
Baltimore Ravens players
Carolina Panthers players
Florida State Seminoles football players
Las Vegas Locomotives players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
People from Arbroath
Players of American football from Pensacola, Florida
Washington Redskins players
Sportspeople from Angus, Scotland
New York Giants players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients