Special teamers are fairly disposable anyway.
When they give teams headaches, small issues can become big ones.
That has to be at least part of the reason former NFL kicker Jeff Reed’s on the outside today, though the 33-year-old said he wants to come back.
Asked by Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer why he’s no longer employed in the league, Reed replied: “I don’t know. There were a couple of things I got in trouble with the law, very minor.”
Specifically, he was cited for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in February 2009 for breaking a paper towel holder in the bathroom of a convenience store. Eight months later, he was cited for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Then a missed field goal against the Patriots in November, and he was released, ending a nine-year run in which he became the team’s second-leading scorer. He bounced through a short stint with the 49ers, and was in Seahawks camp in 2011, but hasn’t gotten a call lately.
Now, he’s back home in Charlotte working out, hoping for another chance.
“A lot of people I know, at every position, once they get cut, they’re done,” Reed said. “They turn into lazy bums and they gain a lot of weight and they don’t pursue their dream anymore.
“But it’s my dream to get back. I made plenty of money and I have two rings. But the thing about it is when you’re competitive and you can do something, why not do it?”
He also seems to understand now his behavior might be the reason the phone doesn’t ring.
“I realize an opportunity might have slipped away,” Reed said. “It really focuses me.”
Whether it convinces anyone to give him a shot remains to be seen, when there are younger, cheaper options available. And as punter Chris Kluwe is finding out in Minnesota, not everyone is crazy about a kicker or a punter that stands out in any way. Whether it’s fair or not doesn’t matter. Reed’s case shows that it’s real.