Justin Reid's history as a kicker: How Chiefs safety landed role as emergency backup

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Justin Reid's history as a kicker: How Chiefs safety landed role as emergency backup image

The Chiefs nearly found themselves in dire circumstances on Sunday when starting kicker Harrison Butker was carted off the field with an ankle injury in the first quarter.

At least, they would have been — were it not for safety-turned-emergency kicker Justin Reid, who filled in admirably for Butker in Kansas City's 44-21 victory over the Cardinals.

"They let me know Butker hurt his ankle and that I was up, and you know, it's like, 'OK, let's ride,'" Reid said. "I knew I was ready for it. Never short of confidence."

The fifth-year veteran, who signed with the Chiefs after a four-year stint in Houston, successfully converted a point-after attempt, then booted the ensuing kickoff through the back of the end zone.

MORE: Matt Ammendola, Justin Reid top Chiefs kicker depth chart after Harrison Butker injury

In all, Reid handled kickoff duties seven times in the victory, with all but two being downed for touchbacks in the end zone. His third kickoff went 63 yards and was fielded at the 2-yard line, resulting in a return of 24 yards; his seventh and final kick went 57 yards, getting fielded at the 8-yard line. It was returned 44 yards to the Chiefs' 48-yard line.

"I mean listen, he's got a big leg," Andy Reid said (via the Chiefs). "Those kickoffs were something, and then he had an extra point. We appreciate him being able to do that, I thought he did a heck of a job."

Though Reid did miss his second PAT, his ability to step up allowed for Butker to receive treatment and re-enter the game toward the end of the first half. He kicked a 54-yard field goal and resumed kicking extra points for the Chiefs.

Either way, Reid was happy to fill in. It's an opportunity he has long awaited, and even advocated. He has a history of kicking that dates back to his high school days — and made him an unlikely hero in Sunday's game.

With that, The Sporting News looks at Reid's history of kicking, not only in the NFL but also in high school and in college:

MORE: Cardinals clap back at Andy Reid's claim that Arizona's turf caused injuries to Harrison Butker, Trent McDuffie

Justin Reid's history as a kicker

High school and college 

Reid's 247Sports profile lists him as a three-star safety out of Dutchtown High School in Geismar, Louisiana. He was the No. 366 player in the 2015 recruiting class, the No. 21 safety and the No. 10 player in the state of Louisiana.

What his bio doesn't reflect is the fact he handled kicking duties for the Griffins. Indeed, his high school coach, Benny Saia, told the Houston Chronicle in 2021 that Reid was a "special weapon" who made most of his field goal attempts.

Saia claimed Reid's biggest strength was the power in his leg, which helped him boot kickoffs into the end zone; per Louisiana high school football rules, any ball that touches in the end zone is an automatic touchback.

"He got a leg, now," Saia said. "That (expletive) can kick."

Reid's interest in kicking predates even his high school days, however. His first love was soccer, and he had hopes of playing the sport professionally before deciding to focus on football.

"I had big plans, when I was young, to go and play in Europe," Justin Reid said. "You know, be like Didier Drogba, maybe go play for Chelsea. I eventually ended up finding a love and passion in football.

"Around eighth or ninth grade, I made the switch, but I always kept my kicking background. I kicked in high school."

Reid's kicking ability was also enough for him to convince the coaching staff at Stanford to designate him as "emergency kicker," per the Chronicle. That was the most of his kicking duties in college, however: He registered no stats on point-after attempts, field goals or kickoffs for the Cardinal.

MORE: Patrick Mahomes by the numbers: Chiefs QB delivers 5-TD outing vs. Cardinals in first game without Tyreek Hill

Texans

Similarly, Reid was able to persuade Houston's coaching staff to give him the emergency kicker role. Again, he was unable to make use of the designation for his first three years in the league, even continuing to advocate for the job when Dave Culley was announced as head coach in 2021:

"Ever since I've been here, even back during OTAs, he's been talking about wanting to kick," Culley said, via the Chronicle. "I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's something from Stanford. But he has this thing about wanting to kick."

Then, on Aug. 28, 2021 — the Texans' final preseason game of the season — Reid got his chance. He was called into place-kicking duties for Ka'imi Fairbairn, who pulled a muscle in warmups.

He had two kickoffs in the game, one of which went to the goal line and another that was fielded at the 4-yard line.

Reid never got his chance to kick field goals in the game, however; Culley said he'd get the opportunity only if the Texans made it within the 24-yard line. The team mostly went for it on fourth down, converting two of six attempts. The team also attempted two-point conversions after both touchdowns it scored.

"That was his distance," Culley said. "He was going to kick a field goal. He was excited about that. Unfortunately, we didn't get down there when we needed to get down there."

Chiefs

Reid got his next opportunity to kick for the Chiefs, albeit in the preseason. This time, he got to kick a point-after attempt in Kansas City's Aug. 22 game vs. the Bears:

Reid's preparation throughout his career kept him ready for the opportunity that presented itself on Sunday. Though it wasn't a high-pressure situation, Reid nevertheless proved invaluable in the situation.

Here's a mic'd up Reid finding out he was getting called into action:

A pretty strong debut for the safety/kicker. Now all he needs to work on is his handshake with Tommy Townsend.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.