Jeff Feagles
The NFL's ironman punter, whose unparalleled consistency and longevity created a record that may never be broken.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American football player·Birthday: March 7·Generation X
Biography
Jeff Feagles mastered the unglamorous art of the punt with a workman's reliability that spanned generations of NFL players. Entering the league as an undrafted free agent, he turned a specialist position into a model of durability. Feagles wasn't known for booming 70-yard kicks, but for impeccable placement, hang time, and an almost supernatural ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory. His 'coffin corner' kicks were a strategic weapon. By playing in 352 consecutive games—an NFL record for any position—he demonstrated a level of physical and mental toughness that earned him deep respect. His career, which culminated in a Super Bowl win with the New York Giants, is a testament to the profound impact of flawless execution over flash.
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.
Jeff was born in 1966, 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 Jeff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
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
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
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
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Holds the NFL record for most consecutive games played (352), a streak that lasted his entire 22-season career.
- Won Super Bowl XLII as a member of the New York Giants following the 2007 season.
- Led the NFL in punting yardage four times and in net average once.
- Retired as the NFL's all-time leader in punts (1,713) and gross punting yards (71,211).
Did You Know?
He popularized the 'Fair Catch Kick,' a rare free kick attempt after a fair catch, attempting two in his career.
Feagles never missed a game due to injury from high school through his entire professional career.
He was traded mid-season in 1998 from the Arizona Cardinals to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round draft pick.
His son, C.J. Feagles, followed him as a collegiate punter at the University of Miami and University of North Carolina.
“I took pride in being available. My job was to be there, every Sunday, ready to go.”
