2021 Football Roster
Jersey Number 17
James McCourt
- Position:
- K
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 215
- Hometown:
- Parkland, Fla.
- High School:
- St. Thomas Aquinas
Career Notes
- Most career 50+-yard field goals (8) in program history
- Single-season regular holder for 50+-yard field goals (4, twice)
- Sixth-most field goals in a season in Illinois history (18) in 2021
- Eighth-best career field goal accuracy in program history (37-52, 71.2%)
- Two-time All-Big Ten
2021 Senior
- All-Big Ten third team (coaches)
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
- PFF All-Big Ten third team
- Phil Steele All-Big Ten fourth team
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Tied the Illinois record for 50+-yard field goals (4)
- Ranked third in the nation in 50+-yard field goals (4) during the regular season
- Ninth in the nation in kickoff touchback percentage (82.4%) during the regular season
- PFF All-Big Ten third team
- 18-23 field goals, 26-26 extra points, 82.4% touchback percentage (42/51) on the season
- 14-for-15 on field goals inside of 50 yards
- Fifth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (53.8%) and field goals per game (1.5)
- 11th in the Big Ten in points (80)
- First Illinois kicker to convert two 50+ yard field goals in one game against UTSA 9/4/21
- Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team
2020 Senior
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
- Started six games at kicker
- Missed two games due to COVID-19 protocols
- 6-10 field goals, 15-15 extra points, 51.7% touchback percentage (14/ 27) on the season
- 47-yard field goal at Rutgers 11/14/20 as time expired to give Illinois the first win of the season
2019 Junior
- Started all 13 games at kicker
- 13-19 field goals, 42-43 extra points, 65.2% touchback percentage (43/66) on the season
- Ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (81 points)
- No. 11 kickoff grade in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten by PFF (87.6)
- 39-yard field goal as time expired beat No. 6 Wisconsin to finish the largest upset over a ranked team in Big Ten history in the last 40 seasons
- Three 50+ yard field goals made is fourth-most in Illinois history
- 50-yard field goal vs. Michigan, 10/12/19, his third 50+ yard field goal of the season
- 57-yard field goal against EMU 9/14/19 tied for the longest in school history
- 53-yard field gol at UConn 9/7/19, his first career made field goal, tied for the longest road field goal in Illinois history and tied for the fifth-longest field goal overall in program history
2018 Sophomore
- Backup kicker and punter
- Made his Illinois debut with a kickoff against Minnesota 11/3/18
2017 Redshirt Freshman
- Member of the Illinois squad
2016 Freshman
- Member of the Illinois squad
High School
- Three-star recruit by Scout, 247Sports and ESPN.com
- No. 9 kicker recruit in nation and No. 2 in Florida by Scout
- Ranked as No. 16 kicker recruit in the nation by 247 Sports
- Florida Class 7A AP first-team All-State and All-Broward County in 2015
- Helped team to state championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015
- Attended same high school as fellow 2016 Illinois signee Dom Thieman, former Illini LB James Crawford and former Illini punter Justin DuVernois
- Also played lacrosse in high school (two years)
Personal
- Born Nov. 9, 1997 in Ireland
- Son of Ciaran and Margaret McCourt
- Has one older sister, Ellen, and two younger brothers, Marcus and Alex
- National Honor Society
- Lists rugby payer Brian O’Driscoll as his favorite athlete because of his “outstanding work ethic on and off the field”
- Graduated with a degree in finance
- Graduated with a master's degree in management in December 2021
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
