Brad Maynard
A model of punting consistency whose powerful leg anchored special teams for over a decade, including a Super Bowl run with the Bears.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American football player·Birthday: February 9·Generation X
Biography
Brad Maynard's NFL career was a masterclass in quiet, relentless reliability. Drafted in the third round by the New York Giants—a high selection for a punter—he immediately justified the pick with a booming, controlled leg. He wasn't just a strong foot; he was a tactician, mastering the coffin-corner kick and developing a knack for pinning opponents deep when it mattered most. After four solid seasons in New York, he found his longest home with the Chicago Bears, where he played for nine years and became a cornerstone of their 2006 NFC Championship team. Maynard's game was defined by durability and situational intelligence, rarely making the highlight reel for a mistake. He finished his career with brief stops in Houston and Cleveland, leaving behind the statistical footprint of a player who did one difficult job very well, for a very long time, with a minimum of drama.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brad was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 15 seasons in the NFL for four teams, appearing in 235 regular season games.
- Was the starting punter for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
- Averaged over 42 yards per punt for his career and landed 36% of his punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
- Earned consensus All-American honors twice while playing college football at Ball State University.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round (95th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft.
Maynard holds the Chicago Bears franchise record for most career punts (956) and punting yards (40,551).
In college, he also served as the holder for field goals and extra points.
He played in every single game for the first 14 seasons of his professional career.
“It's about field position, not how far you kick it.”
