Atlanta Falcons

From not knowing any English to becoming a starter, Younghoe Koo is one of the most improbable National Football League success stories.

I was struggling to say: 'What are you doing this weekend?' I think anybody, if they have a dream and just chase it and work hard, can set up a plan and go after it." As for how he deals with negativity now as one of the NFL's top-earning kickers, Koo likens it to a diet where he chooses which comments he wants to eat and digest. "I was forced to throw myself out there and socialize with different friend groups and meet different people. "Whether it's dealing with racism or whether it's dealing with adversity, we shank a ball ... "I remember just saying, 'I'm bored,' and they were just asking [me] questions like: 'Now? Koo cites sports as a catalyst to learning the language and making friends in an unfamiliar country. It was almost therapeutic for me to go to workouts [with] guys that are going through the same stuff and we're competing but also sharing our journeys," Koo explains. "I decided to drop that ego [and] ask questions. "I guess my football career, like high school, college and then getting to the Chargers, I always had something to do, on a team. "I grew up playing soccer for the school team. "I learned a lot. "I felt like I made it my rookie year when I won the job going into Week One.