Graham Gano is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for over a decade. He was born on April 9, 1987, in Scotland, United Kingdom, but grew up in Pensacola, Florida. Gano played college football at Florida State University, where he was a standout kicker and punter.
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Gano signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent. He was released by the Ravens during the preseason and then signed with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League (UFL). Gano played in the UFL for one season before signing with the Washington Redskins in December 2009.
Gano spent the next seven seasons with the Redskins, where he established himself as one of the most reliable kickers in the league. He made 82.2% of his field goal attempts during his time in Washington and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017. Gano also set a franchise record for the longest field goal in Redskins history when he made a 59-yard kick in 2011.
In 2018, Gano signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he played for the next three seasons. He continued to be a consistent performer, making 87.5% of his field goal attempts during his time in Carolina. Gano also set a franchise record for the most consecutive field goals made when he connected on 34 straight kicks in 2017.
Gano missed the entire 2019 season due to injury and was released by the Panthers in July 2020. He signed with the New York Giants later that month and played in nine games for the team during the 2020 season. Gano had a career year in 2020, making 31 of 32 field goal attempts and all 21 of his extra point attempts. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career and was also named a first-team All-Pro.
However, Gano struggled during the 2021 season, making only 14 of 20 field goal attempts and missing three extra points. He was released by the Giants in November 2021 and has not played in the NFL since.
Overall, Graham Gano had a successful career as an NFL kicker, making 82.1% of his field goal attempts and 96.9% of his extra point attempts. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020. Gano will be remembered as one of the most consistent and reliable kickers of his era.
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