Joe Judge Explains Why Graham Gano Was The Perfect Fit for the Giants

Graham Gano has something that Giants head coach Joe Judge feels gives a kicker an advantage: Experience. Here's why that matters to Judge.

Giants head coach Joe Judge knows a thing or two about what to expect from a place-kicker.

So with the team having signed 33-year old Graham Gano, whom Giants fans will no doubt remember for his record-setting game-winning 63-yard field goal in a 33-31 Carolina Panthers victory over the Giants in 2018, Judge has his kicker for the coming season.

We’ve known about Graham for a long time. Obviously, T-Mac (special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey) and (general manager) Dave (Gettleman) have experience with him personally from back in Carolina,” Judge said once the Gano signing was announced Wednesday.

“He’s someone who wasn’t available early on in this process. Then when he became available, we obviously had him on our radar. It was fortunate that it worked out the way it is. He’s a competitive guy, he’s a talented guy. He obviously missed a little bit of time due to injury. I’m anxious to get him on the field and see him get going.”

Judge believes that despite Gano’s recent injury issues with his plant leg—issues that are now behind the kicking—there’s something to said for having an experienced kicker in his 30s.

“Young guys may have a little bit more pop in their legs at times. Young guys may have a little bit more raw ability. But when it comes to NFL specialists, they really start peaking around those 30’s ages right there. That’s why a lot of them have the ability to play even in their early 40’s,” Judge said.

“I think it’s a combination of figuring out how to really manage their bodies along with the technique and the workload,” Judge said Thursday. “I think by the time you get a little bit under your belt experience wise, specialists too, you have more of a rhythm of your weekly preparation.”

Part of that weekly preparation is understanding how to kick in a variety of different environments. Gano, who has also kicked for Baltimore and Washington in addition to Carolina, is certainly no stranger to that and feels well-prepared to handle whatever the MetLife Stadium winds throw at him.

"Over the course of your career you kind of learn how to manipulate the wind in different ways and it's just one of those things you deal with the conditions as they come," said Gano, who has kicked in four regular-season games at MetLife Stadium during his career (three against the Giants and one against the Jets). "I'm not worried about [the wind] too much."

Gano's last kick at MetLife Stadium illustrates his ability to adapt to those conditions in a high stakes situation.

In a late-December showdown against the Giants in 2015, Gano nailed a 43-yarder as time expired to win the game for the Panthers, 38-35 as time expired.

As he gets ready for a new chapter, Gano is hoping to make some new memories Giants fans can enjoy, following in the footsteps of his friend and one-time Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who like Gano is Scottish born.

"I've known Lawrence for a long time," Gano said. "He did some amazing things here, and I'm excited to follow in his footsteps and make memories here myself.

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