An unfamiliar face played hero for the Vikings this past weekend in their 12-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Every single point the Vikings scored came via the right foot of new kicker Parker Romo as he finished a perfect 4 of 4 on field goals in his NFL debut.

Not bad considering Romo, 27, was recently sitting at home on his couch in Fayetteville, Ark.

It raises the question: How did the Vikings find him?

The process started back in the spring when the Vikings sent scouting analyst Michelle Mankoff to a kicking combine in Fountain Hills, Ariz. Highly respected kicking coach Gary Zauner hosts the annual spectacle to help give exposure to specialists who have been overlooked.

Not only did that allow the Vikings to get eyes on Romo in person, it also gave special-teams coordinator Matt Daniels access to the film. As impressed as he was with what he saw, Daniels was even more drawn to the swagger with which Romo carried himself.

“We were like, ‘This is a guy we could see in our building that we want to bring in,’ ” Daniels said. “We ended up signing him.”

After arriving before the start of organized team activities, Romo, who bounced around at three schools in college before finishing his career at Virginia Tech in 2021, remained the only player at the position until the Vikings selected rookie kicker Will Reichard in the 2024 draft. That eventually led to the Vikings waiving Romo in the early stages of training camp.

Though he wasn’t sure if he would ever get another chance to kick in the NFL, Romo continued to work on his craft. It’s a good thing he did, because after the Vikings placed Reichard on injured reserve last week they called Romo and invited him to a tryout at TCO Performance Center.

“You always want to make sure to check that box,” Daniels said. “You don’t want to just hand the job over to a guy.”

After competing against a handful of other kickers in the tryout, Romo did enough to earn a spot on the Vikings’ active roster. He rewarded the Vikings for their faith a few days later by playing a starring role in the win over the Jaguars.

All the while, Romo has continued to carry himself with the swagger that drew Daniels to him in the first place.

“There’s an unwavering confidence,” Daniels said of his new kicker. “If it doesn’t go through the uprights, he responds the right way.”

Asked why he thinks it took so long for Romo to get noticed, Daniels had a hard time putting his finger on it. His best guess was that it’s hard for players to make a name for themselves at the position. There are only 32 spots to go around.

“I’m sure there are a ton of other players who are very deserving and haven’t had the opportunity,” Daniels said. “You check the tape, and it shows this guy is good enough to play in this league. He just needed the opportunity. I’m glad we were able to give it to him.”

John Parker Romo #96 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after his team defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Nov. 10, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings place kicker John Parker Romo (96) warms up before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 12-7. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

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