Jeff Reed (American football)
A clutch kicker whose steady leg helped anchor the Pittsburgh Steelers' special teams through two Super Bowl victories in the 2000s.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American football player·Birthday: April 9·Generation X
Biography
Jeff Reed's path to NFL stability was anything but straight. An undrafted free agent out of North Carolina, he bounced from the Saints' practice squad before landing in Pittsburgh in 2002. There, he found a home for nine seasons, operating in the crucible of Heinz Field—one of the league's most notoriously difficult stadiums for kickers. Reed wasn't the flashiest, but he was remarkably reliable in big moments, a key complementary piece to the Steelers' hard-nosed identity. His consistency on field goals and kickoffs provided a crucial layer of security for teams built on defense and running the ball. While his Steelers tenure ended abruptly, his name remains etched in the franchise record books for his scoring contributions during a championship era.
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 1979, 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 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
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
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
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
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII as the placekicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Scored 919 total points for the Steelers, ranking third in franchise history at the time of his retirement.
- Kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens in a 2008 divisional playoff game.
Did You Know?
He was a standout soccer player in high school and did not play organized football until his senior year.
Reed once got into a physical altercation with a paper towel dispenser in a stadium bathroom, an incident that became part of Steelers lore.
He finished his NFL career with a 82.2% field goal accuracy rate.
“In Pittsburgh, you either make the kick or you don't.”
