Quinn Nordin

BIOGRAPHY

Born on August 16, 1998, Quinn Nordin’s journey to NFL stardom has been far from usual, reflecting his sheer passion for the game and an unflagging perseverance that took him from high school football. Quinn is an American football placekicker, currently a free agent, who in 2021 signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent after his accomplished college football career at Michigan University.

At Rockford High School in Michigan, Nordin’s athletic prowess was already evident. Despite missing most of his senior season due to a shoulder injury, Nordin was back in action in a Rockford team that advanced to the third round of the Division-1 state playoffs with an impressive 8-3 overall record. His senior year saw him convert two of three attempted field goals with a long of 51 yards, place seven punts inside the 20 yard line, with an average of 53 yards per punt, and land 17 of 18 kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks. His impressive performances led to him being named as a USA Today High School All-American.

Nordin, a force to be reckoned with on the field, was listed as the nation’s top kicker by Scout.com and the 9th overall kicker by ESPN. Rivals.com and ESPN.com both rated him as a highly promising three-star prospect. He initially verbally committed to play at Penn State in July 2015 but later rescinded his decision. His prowess also caught the interest of Jim Harbaugh, head football coach at Michigan, where Nordin committed to play on National Signing Day, February 3, 2016.

The start of Nordin’s collegiate career signaled that a bright future lay ahead. On September 2, 2017, Nordin kicked four field goals against Florida in his first match, becoming the first Michigan kicker to hit multiple field goals of 50 yards or more in a game. Besides, his 55-yard field goal stood as the longest in a college game played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the longest by a Michigan freshman. His early season standout performance guaranteed him the title as the Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.

In a game against Air Force later that month, Nordin matched a Michigan record by not missing any of his five field goal attempts and converting both of his point-after attempts (PAT). Despite his obvious talent, Nordin struggled during the 2018 season, missing several crucial field goals.

In the 2019 season, Nordin shared field goal and PAT duties with Jake Moody, with his highlight in January 2020 being a record-setting 57-yard field goal against Alabama in the 2020 Citrus Bowl. By November 2020, he had set a Michigan program record for the most field goals at 40 yards or longer (14).

May 2021 began a new chapter for Nordin, when he joined the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), standing out as the only UDFA signed by the Patriots that year. Despite some issues during preseason, the Patriots stuck by Nordin, officially naming him as their kicker in August 2021 after releasing Nick Folk. Unfortunately, injury plagued him again, leading to a spell on the sidelines. Although he was later released and re-signed to the practice squad in December 2021, the Patriots announced a reserve/future contract with him in January 2022.

In June 2022, Nordin’s contract with the Patriots was released due to a non-football injury. Nonetheless, he remained on the Patriots’ reserve/NFI list for later use until being waived again in February 2023. Nordin’s football journey reflects the sheer tenacity and drive of an extraordinary sportsman, and how he continually undeterred, takes the challenges thrown at him in stride.