“I am proud of the fact that I can do what I do every day. A lot of people think it may be football related or academically you have achieved a lot. It is not really that for me. The proudest thing to me is that I can know that every day I wake up, I do the same thing over and over again, consistently. I am proud that I am still focusing on what I need to do, regardless what the situation is,” Irish senior kicker Justin Yoon said.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior kicker from Tennessee says this is the proudest moment in his four years at Notre Dame. He is so proud that he can do what he does every day here at Notre Dame consistently, no matter what happens.
The No. 1 kicker in his recruiting class came to Notre Dame because he saw opportunity here. And a lot of things at Notre Dame were really attractive him. He really feels comfortable and welcomed at Notre Dame, a place that has everything he needs for his future.
“It is like a process of picking universities,” Yoon said. “It is like the reason why I went to my high school. The energies and charisma around the school. And I really feel welcomed. I got that feeling when I came to Notre Dame. Football is top here and a lot of things are top here. The biggest thing I saw was the opportunity. Notre Dame is a big place for opportunities. I think that is the most important thing you need to look into your future. Everything you are doing is for your future.”
When asked about the feeling of breaking the all-time scoring record of Notre Dame, the senior kicker thanked all his teammates, coaches and everyone around him because they give him support to help him do his job.
“I could not have done this without all my teammates, the coaches here,” Yoon said. “So many things here allowed me to do it. The fact that everyone here, my teammate, support me so well. They are scoring the touchdown, and will say ‘Hey, you just do your thing and we will do our thing.’ So I trust them and they trust me. [Head coach Brian] Kelly can trust me. It is a big trust fact and I always appreciate it. So do blessings. I think I will realize the meaning of it at a certain time.”
Talking about the future, Yoon definitely wants to play at the next level and he wants to be ready if he gets an opportunity. He is focused on continuing to work every day and do his job consistently.
“All the work I had done in years before all showed that I want to play in the next level,” Yoon said. “But it is not like I can choose. It’s about how can you do this on a day-to-day basis. And continue to do your job consistently. So you can pray for an opportunity to get to the next level. Next level is not natural. It is all God-given. ... You are lucky and get the bench. So I am hoping someone will give me the opportunity. That’s the biggest thing. And when you get there, it is a big challenge to do your job and maintain the position.”
At the same time, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a major finance from Notre Dame, Yoon is confident about the future, even if he does not end up in the NFL. He believes all the resources at Notre Dame, professors, staff and alumni can all provide him great resources after graduation.
“This is the reason why I came and study here. If I cannot make it through there, I always have Notre Dame support, faculty, whoever it is,” Yoon said. “It is the networking environment. It is really important and special.”
In the end, Yoon believes the Irish will try their best to continue this journey as long as possible, hopefully all the way to a national championship.
“So far it has been a ride. We will continue the adventure and journey,” he said. “Hopefully, we can ride as long as we can, get it all the way through the national championship."
