Greg Joseph

Greg Joseph's Biography

Greg Joseph, a South African–American professional field goal kicker, has currently made a name for himself in the National Football League (NFL) by playing for the New York Giants. Joseph, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 4, 1994, moved to Florida in 2001 along with his family, which consists of his parents, Glen and Ilana, and two younger brothers, Marc and Dylan.

Raised in a Jewish household, Greg considers his faith as a fundamental factor in shaping his professional and personal life. His initial exposure to football began at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, where he also played soccer. His talent in both games was quite evident, earning him recognition for all-country and all-state honors. However, Joseph decided to hang up his soccer boots in favor of football, allowing him a better chance to obtain a college scholarship and create a professional career.

Joseph’s journey into college football began at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) where he spent five years after walking onto the football team as a redshirt during his freshman year. The journey culminated in his graduation in 2017, after completing a degree in exercise science and health promotion. During his time at FAU, Joseph earned accolades as the Owls’ all-time leader in field goals made (57), points scored (336), points after touchdown made (165), and field goals attempted, setting several university single-game records in the process.

Upon graduating, Joseph’s dream of playing professional football became a reality when he was signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2018 after going undrafted. Despite his successful performance in the preseason, he was released during the same year. His journey to the NFL, however, was far from over as he would make his debut with the Cleveland Browns later in 2018, replacing Zane Gonzalez.

During his time with the Browns, Joseph demonstrated his skills quite remarkably, achieving a high success rate in his field goal attempts and earning a touchback percentage of 68.1% from his total kickoffs. Despite his impressive performance, Joseph was released in 2019 after rookie Austin Seibert secured the kicker job.

Joseph’s career then took him to various teams including the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers. He demonstrated his skill and cool demeanor multiple times, such as during the AFC Championship Game with the Titans when he made a 30-yard kick in the first quarter. During his time with the Vikings, he made two season-winning field goals, one against the Green Bay Packers and another against the Detroit Lions.

Despite facing several setbacks and changes throughout his career, Joseph continued to rise through the ranks and make monumental field goals, such as setting a Vikings franchise record in a game against the New York Giants by hitting a 61-yard field goal, contributing to a 27–24 victory.

In 2023, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Vikings. The subsequent year, he signed with the Green Bay Packers. In what became an iterative pattern throughout his career, Joseph was once more released from the Packers and picked up by the Detroit Lions for their practice squad. Finally, in an unexpected twist, the New York Giants signed Joseph to their active roster, replacing injured Graham Gano. Today, he continues his relentless journey on the football field, proving time and again the depth of his talent and commitment to the sport.