Former Penn State kicker, local product Robbie Gould announces retirement from NFL

Former Penn State kicker Robbie Gould, who grew up locally in Central Mountain, announced his retirement Thursday morning with a story on The Players’ Tribune.

Gould, who played 17 seasons in the NFL, went undrafted in 2005. He expressed excitement Thursday for what comes next.

“And now? Lucky me. My favorite team has been waiting for me at home to join them full-time (emphasis his) — no contract needed,” his story read. “I’m excited to be more present with my family and to focus all of my attention on what matters to me outside of football. ... So, without interruption, I’m ready for this next stage of life.”

The former Nittany Lion’s career started as a walk-on under former head coach Joe Paterno. Gould connected on 115 of his 121 extra points at Pennn State and 39 of his 61 field goal attempts. He originally began his career on the New England Patriots, who cut him in the preseason, before signing with the Baltimore Ravens, who also released him.

But during the 2005 season, the Chicago Bears signed Gould and he made the most of it, staying with the team until he was cut just before the start of the 2016 season.

He spent one year with the Giants before finding a home with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played from 2017-2022. Gould, who celebrated his 41st birthday Wednesday, said over the summer that he hoped to play this season — but he didn’t come to an agreement with any teams.

Notably, Gould never missed a postseason kick in his career, making all 39 extra points and all 29 field goal attempts and is ninth all-time in field goal percentage at 86.46%.