Nick Folk Nicholas Alexander Folk ( born November 5 , 1984 ) is an American football placekicker for the New York Jets of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft . He played college football at Arizona . Folk was selected to be the NFC kicker in the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2007 . Early years . Folk played high school football at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks , California , and was named an " All - CIF " player . College career . Folk played college football at the University of Arizona . The longest field goal of his college career , 52 - yards , came in 2005 against USC . During his senior year at Arizona , Folk took over the punting duties in addition to his kicking duties . Folk would be recognized for his efforts as he earned All - Pac - 10 honors . Professional career . Dallas Cowboys . Folk was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round ( 178th overall ) of the 2007 NFL Draft . Folk made the longest kick of his career to that point , a 53 - yard against the Buffalo Bills on " Monday Night Football " during his rookie season . That season , he became the first Cowboys rookie Pro Bowl kicker , after being selected to serve as the NFC ' s kicker during the 2008 Pro Bowl , having gone 26 - 31 in field goal attempts and making all 53 extra points he attempted during the season . Folk also broke the Cowboys single - season record for most points by a placekicker ( 131 ) during his rookie season . In 2008 , Folk continued his strong performance as he made 91 % of his kicks and once again made all of his extra point attempts . Following the 2008 season , Folk discovered an issue with his hip that the Cowboys medical personnel identified as an issue with his flexor , but the prescribed treatment did not resolve the matter . After conducting more tests , it was discovered that Folk had a torn labrum and underwent surgery in May 2009 . The proper recovery time would have had Folk returning sometime at the beginning of training camp but Folk rushed his rehab and as a result his hip did not heal properly . Consequently , Folk struggled as he entered his third season with the Cowboys in 2009 . His kicks were erratic , evidenced by the fact that he only made 64 . 3 % of his field goals , going 18 - 28 . On December 19 , 2009 , Folk attempted a 23 yard field goal against the New Orleans Saints that would have increased the Cowboys lead to ten and ensure their victory . However , Folk missed the kick , requiring Dallas ' defense to thwart the Saints offense once again . Although the Cowboys won the game , the team lost faith in Folk and waived him on December 21 , 2009 . New York Jets . On February 23 , 2010 , Folk signed a one - year contract with the New York Jets . Head coach Rex Ryan mocked Folk ' s early performances during the team ' s offseason workouts however after working out with special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff , who helped refine Folk ' s kicking technique after allowing his hip to fully recover , Folk began to gain consistency once again . On October 11 , 2010 , Folk became the first Jets kicker to kick five field goals in a home game since Pat Leahy achieved the feat in 1984 . Folk set a franchise record for the longest kick , making a career long kick of 56 yards against the Denver Broncos on October 17 , 2010 . As time expired , Folk kicked the game winning field goal against the Indianapolis Colts in the Jets wildcard match - up on January 8 , 2011 . On Sunday Night Football , during the opening weekend of the 2011 - 12 season , Folk kicked a 50 - yard field goal with 27 seconds left to give the Jets a 27 - 24 victory over his former team , the Dallas Cowboys . On March 14 , 2012 , Folk was re - signed by the Jets . Personal . Folk was born to Anton and Kathryn Folk . His father Tony , who was born in Austria to Bavarian parents , works as an accountant while his mother is a pediatrician . Folk is a direct descendant from the Mayflower as William Bradford was his " mother ' s umpteenth - great grandfather . " Folk is also a dual citizen of the United States and Germany , where his father grew up before immigrating to the United States . Folk has two younger brothers Erik and Gregory . Erik is currently the placekicker for the University of Washington Huskies Football team . Greg was a standout soccer player for UCLA and has spent time playing with Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer . Folk ' s cousin , Blake Robinson , was diagnosed with NF when he was only eighteen months old . Folk partnered with the Children ’ s Tumor Foundation to support the research of NF . Folk majored in marketing at Arizona . Folk is an avid soccer fan . He has attended New York Red Bulls games and is a member of the Viking Army Supporters Club .