Former Eagle is making East proud

Melissa Rhoad
May 29, 2009
Filed under Sports

        From leading his high school soccer team, to majoring in journalism, and finally achieving success as the starting kicker for one of  today’s top NFL teams. Jeff Reed has made a name for himself since graduating from the halls of East Mecklenburg High School.

          Reed, who turned 30 in April, graduated from East in 1997. While at the school he was captain of the soccer team and kicker for the football team. Reed had been playing soccer since the young age of four.  

 “I didn’t want to play football at first. Those guys got hit too hard,” Reed says.

One thing led to another and Reed became a record-setting kicker for the Eagles’ football team. He was as successful off the field with academics as he was on, excelling in math and english, and even writing for The Eagle.

After high school Reed attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in journalism and played football. Reed was a college-walk on at Chapel Hill, and after redshirting his freshmen year, he was offered a scholarship as a junior.

          “I was mistreated as a walk-on,” says Reed, “I was always told you’re a dork, you’re a kicker.”

          Reed made it clear that he has never been a quitter and is used to being labeled as the underdog in whatever he tries to accomplish. Reed joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent in 2002 and his first career kick was against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“My last tryout was with Pittsburgh. It was horrible; it was like fifteen degrees, the field was frozen,” says Reed. “The four of us trying out were all average at best, but for some reason, they picked me.”

          During the 2005-06 NFL playoffs, the Steelers became Super Bowl XL champions. Once again during the 2008-2009 season playoffs, the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII.        

            “It was a lot easier to deal with everything the second time. You learn you have to bring your personality to media day and not let the press get under your skin. The actual game was more nerve wracking though.”

When asked about his inspirations Reed said he looks to his family.

“My parents and my sisters influence me the most. They’re at everything I do, and they come to all the games they can.”                    

But this athlete is not all about being the best. Reed is also very much involved with several charitable organizations and feels that his fame has given him the most not through money, but through the ways he gets to help people.

“It’s great for people to remember a game-winning field goal, but charity events are what I want to be remembered by. That’s what’s most important.”

          The former Eagle is making East proud and giving back to the community. Reed chooses not to let his “celebrity status” get in the way of being himself.

            “Sometimes I complain about it, but then I realize that I’m one of 32 people in the world that do what I do, so I should just shut up.”