James McCourt Bio
James McCourt is an Irish-born American football placekicker born November 9, 1997, in Dublin. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida before playing college football at Illinois from 2016 through 2021. Listed by the NFL at 6 feet 1 inch and 216 pounds, McCourt became the Illini’s primary kicker in 2019, earned All-Big Ten recognition twice and graduated with a finance degree and a master’s degree in management. His Illinois career included decisive, late-game kicks against Wisconsin in 2019 and Rutgers in 2020.
McCourt was not selected in the 2022 NFL Draft and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent in May 2022. Jacksonville claimed him off waivers that August, and he later spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad and returned on a reserve/future contract. After Jacksonville waived him on August 29, 2023, the Las Vegas Raiders signed him to their practice squad in October. He was temporarily activated for a game before the Raiders released him from the practice squad on October 31, 2023. That release is his latest verified NFL team transaction, so he should not be described as currently employed by an NFL club. McCourt’s kicking profile is built around strong range, while coaches emphasized consistency as the key to establishing himself professionally.
- Position
- PK
James McCourt Questions & Answers
Who is James McCourt?
James McCourt is an Irish-born American football placekicker who played at Illinois and later had offseason, practice-squad and temporary game-day affiliations with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.What position does James McCourt play?
McCourt is a placekicker. His role includes field-goal and extra-point attempts as well as kickoff duties.How tall is James McCourt?
The NFL lists James McCourt at 6 feet 1 inch and 216 pounds.When and where was James McCourt born?
McCourt was born November 9, 1997, in Dublin, Ireland. He later attended high school in Florida.Where did James McCourt play college football?
McCourt played at the University of Illinois from 2016 through 2021. He became the primary kicker in 2019 and earned All-Big Ten recognition twice.Was James McCourt drafted into the NFL?
No. McCourt went undrafted in 2022 and began his professional career by signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent.What is James McCourt's kicking style?
McCourt is known for strong leg power and long-distance range. During his transition to the NFL, coaches identified repeatable consistency as the central element needed to complement that power.What is James McCourt's latest verified NFL status?
Jacksonville waived McCourt on August 29, 2023. Las Vegas subsequently signed him to its practice squad, activated him temporarily for an October game and released him from the practice squad on October 31, 2023. No later NFL team affiliation is verified here.
