Greg Joseph

Greg Joseph (born August 4, 1994) is a South African-born American professional football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida Atlantic and signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Later that year, Joseph made his NFL debut with the Cleveland Browns. He has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Minnesota Vikings.

Greg Joseph
refer to caption
Joseph in 2019
No. 2 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1994-08-04) August 4, 1994 (age 29)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Donna Klein Jewish Academy (Palm Beach County, Florida)
American Heritage School (Delray Beach, Florida)
College:Florida Atlantic (2013–2017)
Undrafted:2018
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Field goals:100
Field goal attempts:121
Field goal %:82.6
Longest field goal:61
Touchbacks:244
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Joseph was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Glen and Ilana Joseph.[1] In 2001, Joseph and his family moved to West Boca Raton, Florida as his family sought to leave South Africa, and his mother had family in Florida. Joseph has two younger brothers, Marc and Dylan.[2][3][1][4]Joseph is Jewish and says that Judaism has "absolutely" guided him during his life.[5][4]

Joseph played football and soccer at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida (and was named all-county and all-state) and high school football (in which he was named all-county, all-state, and All-America by MaxPrep.com) at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Florida.[6][7][4][8] He decided to focus on football after recognizing that he stood a much better chance of getting a college scholarship and going pro in football than in soccer.[9]

College career

Joseph spent five years at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton after walking onto the football team and redshirting his freshman year, and graduated in 2017 with a degree in exercise science and health promotion.[10][1][11][4] He graduated as the Owls’ all-time leader in field goals made (57), points scored (336), points after touchdown (PATs) made (165; in 170 attempts), and field goals attempted.[12][1][13][4] He also set the university's single-game records for PATs, field goals, points scored by kicking, and the Owls’ longest field goal (54 yards).[4][14]

As of February 2019, Joseph was working towards finishing his MBA at FAU.[10]

College statistics

Florida Atlantic Owls
YearSchoolConfClassPosGXPMXPAXP%FGMFGAFG%Pts
2014Florida AtlanticCUSASOK11343597.1142070.076
2015Florida AtlanticCUSAJRK122828100.0182766.782
2016Florida AtlanticCUSAJRK123939100.0101471.469
2017Florida AtlanticCUSASRK14646894.1152171.4109
CareerFlorida Atlantic16517097.1578269.5336

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span
6 ft 0+14 in
(1.84 m)
210 lb
(95 kg)
31+12 in
(0.80 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
All values from Pro Day[15]

Miami Dolphins

After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Joseph was signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins.[4] He made all three of the kicks he attempted in the preseason.[16] The Dolphins released Joseph on September 1, 2018.[17]

Cleveland Browns

Joseph was signed by the Cleveland Browns on September 17, 2018.[4] He replaced Zane Gonzalez, who was cut from the team after missing two field goals and two extra points the previous day against the New Orleans Saints.[13] During a Week 5 12–9 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Joseph made a game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime.[18]

In his lone season with the Browns, Joseph made 17 of 20 field goal attempts, with a long of 51 (his misses were beyond 40 yards), and made 25-of-29 extra points.[19] Joseph was 4-of-4 from 20-to-29 yards, 7-of-7 from 30-to-39 yards, 5-of-7 from 40-to-49 yards and 1-of-2 from 50-plus yards.[20] In 2018, he handled 69 total kickoffs and achieved a touchback on 68.1% of them.[20]

On August 31, 2019, Joseph was released during final roster cuts after losing the kicker job to rookie Austin Seibert.[21]

Joseph was drafted in the fifth round of the fifth phase of the 2020 XFL Draft by the Seattle Dragons in October 2019 but did not sign with them.[22][23][24]

Carolina Panthers

On November 25, 2019, Joseph was signed to the practice squad of the Carolina Panthers.[25]

Tennessee Titans

Joseph with the Titans before a 2020 playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium

On December 18, 2019, the Tennessee Titans signed Joseph to a three-year contract off Carolina's practice squad, after waiving kicker Ryan Santoso and placing kicker Ryan Succop on injured reserve.[26][27] He made his Titans debut on December 22, kicking four extra points in a 38–28 loss to the Saints.[28] In the next game against the Houston Texans, Joseph went 5-for-5 on extra points as the Titans won on the road by a score of 35–14.[29]

Joseph did not attempt a field goal until his fifth game with the Titans when he made a 30-yard kick in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Joseph went 15-for-15 on extra points before his first field goal attempt.[30]

Joseph was waived by the Titans on September 3, 2020, after the team signed Stephen Gostkowski to assume kicking duties.[31]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On September 8, 2020, Joseph signed to the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[32] He was elevated to the active roster on December 18 for the team's Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons, and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[33]

Minnesota Vikings

Joseph with the Vikings in 2023

On February 11, 2021, Joseph signed with the Minnesota Vikings.[34] During a Week 2 33–34 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Joseph missed a game-winning 37-yard field goal attempt. Three weeks later, he made a game-winning 54-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions. A week later, he missed another game-winning field goal against the Carolina Panthers, but the Vikings would go on to win the game in overtime. On November 21, 2021, Joseph made his second game-winning field goal of the season, a 29-yarder against the Green Bay Packers.[35]

During a Week 4 28–25 victory over the Saints in London in 2022, Joseph converted all five field goal attempts, including a 47-yard game-winner, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[36] During a Week 15 39–36 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he was able to kick a 40-yard field goal in overtime despite an attempt to ice him, helping the Vikings win in the biggest comeback in NFL history.[37] In the next game against the New York Giants, Joseph hit a 61 yard game winning field goal in a 27–24 victory,[38] also setting a Vikings franchise record for longest made field goal.[39]

On March 14, 2023, Joseph signed a one-year contract extension with the Vikings.[40]

Green Bay Packers

On March 28, 2024, Joseph signed with the Green Bay Packers.[41]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGPOverall FGsPATsKickoffsPoints
BlkLngFGAFGMPctXPAXPMPctBlkKOAvgTBRet
2018CLE14051201785.0292586.206963.5472076
2019TEN2000099100.001162.6659
2021MIN17055383386.8403690.009463.97618135
2022MIN17261332678.8464087.008963.45434118
2023MIN17154302480.0383694.717964.4610108
Total6736112110082.616214690.1134263.624477446
Source: pro-football-referencecom

Postseason

YearTeamGPOverall FGsPATsKickoffsPoints
BlkLngFGAFGMPctXPAXPMPctBlkKOAvgTBRet
2019TEN303011100.099100.001462.55912
2022MIN103811100.033100.00664.7416
Total403822100.01212100.002063.291018
Source: pro-football-referencecom

See also

References