The pressure inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium is immense, but for Peachtree City native Parker Romo, it’s a familiar kind of noise. On Sept. 19, 2025, Romo, a former multi-sport star from McIntosh High School, stepped onto the field wearing the uniform of the Atlanta Falcons, his hometown team. His signing to the active roster, replacing the veteran Younghoe Koo, marked the height of a decade-long journey that was anything but a straight line.
Romo’s path to the NFL wasn’t the typical route; it was drawn by versatility, transfers and a detour through the XFL. When he was a student at McIntosh, Romo was the definition of an all-around athlete: he wasn’t just a football player, he lettered three years in soccer, volleyball and track & field. He was the Class 5A All-State goalkeeper as a senior while simultaneously serving as the football team’s First-Team All-Region kicker and punter.
That multi-sport background, including a year at Principia Upper School in Missouri, provided a hidden advantage he realizes now.
“I think every sport helps you develop in a specific way,” Romo said in a phone interview. “I think it is very important to play multiple sports and not to focus on just one. For example, earlier in my career, especially in college, you wouldn’t think like triple jump would have anything to do with kicking at football.”
That diverse athleticism fueled his college career, which saw him transfer from Central Arkansas (2016) to Tulsa (2018), before finally landing at Virginia Tech (2019–2021), where he earned a degree in economics. This period was about more than football; it was about building a network.
“The biggest thing with going from high school to college is just trying to find connections,” he said. “Life really is all about the connections you make.”
The NFL didn’t come calling directly after Romo went undrafted in 2022. The next two years became a blur of opportunity and uncertainty. He spent time with the Saints, Lions, and Bears, but those times were limited to the offseason or the practice squad. The constant packing, unpacking, and waiting for the next phone call was emotionally and logistically draining. The true proving factor came in 2023 with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. It was in the secondary league that Romo became an elite kicker. He led the XFL, converting 17 of 19 field goals for a spectacular 89.5% rate, earning him First-team All-XFL honors. This was the undeniable proof he needed to re-enter the NFL conversation, but the struggle of bouncing around never faded.
The secret to navigating a career built on constant shifts, according to Romo, is maintaining a supportive group of people. It was the only way to endure the instability of the professional landscape.
“Having the right people around you, like, keep circle small, and have really meaningful relationships with those kinds of people…it’s definitely good to have, people that can bring you up and support you, you know?”
Parker argued his success comes from an an unbreakable commitment to self-belief.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, then you’re already giving up on whatever your goal is going to be,” he said.
In 2024, Romo finally broke through. He played four games with the Minnesota Vikings, making his NFL debut on Nov. 10. He delivered under pressure, converting 11 of 12 field goals, including a long of 55 yards, showing he could handle the highest level of competition. But the ultimate goal which was playing for the Falcons remained. After a brief practice squad stop with the Patriots, the call came in 2025. On Sept. 9, he was signed to the Falcons’ practice squad, and 10 days later, he was elevated to the active roster.
For Parker Romo, the journey from a McIntosh High School goalkeeper and kicker to the Falcons’ specialist wasn’t a sprint, it was a long, meticulously-trained marathon with a game defined by resilience. And finally, he’s playing it right where he started, at home. When the game is on the line, Romo relies on years of work to block out the anxiety.
“There is pressure, but you can’t let it get to your head,” he said. “Like you have to be able to clear your head, focus on all the training that you’ve done… So just being able to block everything out, block out all the noise, and just focus on the details.”
