Blake Grupe

Blake Grupe's Biography

In the spotlight of the National Football League (NFL) stands the outstanding placekicker, Blake Grupe (pronounced as GROOP-ee). Born in the fall of 1998, on November 5th, Grupe proudly carries the title as a professional American football player. Currently, he plays for the New Orleans Saints – one of the most recognized teams in the NFL. Prior to stepping foot in the professional circuit, Grupe was a notable player in college football, playing for the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was not drafted in the 2023 NFL draft but was signed by the Saints soon after, as an undrafted free agent.

Delving into Grupe’s early life, he was born in Sedalia, Missouri. He attended Smith-Cotton High School, where his exceptional athletic prowess began to surface. Remarkably, he was a triple-threat athlete, excelling in soccer, baseball, and football. Interestingly, Grupe threw himself into the world of football only during his sophomore year. In his final year of high school, his hard work and talent delivered excellent results. Not only was he named all-state in both football and soccer, but he also set benchmarks in his school with record-breaking performances in single-season and career field goals made. Thereafter, Grupe took a significant stride in his football journey – committing to play college football for the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

In 2017, as a true freshman at Arkansas State, Grupe was redshirted. The subsequent year marked a significant turn in his college football journey, as Grupe secured the starting placekicking job in the third week. During that season, he successfully converted 14 out of 21 attempts, landing him in the seventh position in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2019, he outdid his previous year’s performance by making 19 out of 22 field goal attempts. Consequently, he was named the first-team all-conference and was also a semifinalist for the prestigious Lou Groza Award, an honor given to the best placekicker in the nation. His solid performance didn’t stop there, as he scored a total of 110 points, setting a school record for kickers and achieving the second-best score in the conference.

The pool of success continued to flow his way in 2020. He made 11 out of 18 goals and added 43 extra points to his tally. In 2021, his final year at Arkansas State, he made 20 out of 25 field goals and missed just one of his 32 extra point attempts. These impressive performances solidified his place among the best by breaking multiple school records – career extra points (162), career field goals (64), and career points scored (354).

Following his success at Arkansas State, Grupe transferred to Notre Dame for his final season of eligibility in 2022. He maintained his high-level performance there as well—converting 14 of 19 field goals and making all 49 of his extra point attempts in his only year with the team.

Despite these impressive accolades, Grupe was overlooked in the 2023 NFL draft. Nevertheless, the New Orleans Saints quickly recognized his potential and signed him as an undrafted free agent. The journey with the Saints started on a high note, with Grupe scoring a game-winning field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs in a preseason game. Following this, he won a fierce competition with veteran player Wil Lutz, securing his spot on the team.

Grupe’s rookie season witnessed a few significant moments. Although he missed a 46-yard go-ahead field goal in the third week against the Green Bay Packers, which resulted in a loss for the Saints, he quickly bounced back to stellar form. In the fifth week, he was named the National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. This recognition came after his commendable performance against the New England Patriots in a stupendous 34–0 win. Grupe successfully completed four extra points, two 50+ yard field goals, and recorded five touchbacks on seven kickoffs in the game. As a rookie, he remained exceptional throughout the season, converting all 40 of his extra point attempts and 30 out of 37 field goal attempts.

With his impressive trail of achievements, Blake Grupe has firmly established his place in the National Football League. The young placekicker’s career journey so far underlies the promising prospects ahead for both him and his team, the New Orleans Saints.