Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Reed graduated from East Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1997.

Reed attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in journalism and played college football.

After an unsuccessful tryout with the New Orleans Saints during the 2002 preseason, Reed joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent during the regular season.

During the 2005–06 NFL playoffs, where the Steelers eventually won Super Bowl XL, Reed successfully kicked all three field goal attempts and converted all fourteen of his potential PATs.

Reed's streak of 189 consecutive successful PAT's (210 including post-seasons), dating back to the Steelers' week 16 victory over the Chargers in 2003, came to an end on Monday November 3, 2008, against the Washington Redskins.

The incident occurred when Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth was cited for urinating in public, and Reed refused to comply with police orders to go back inside his SUV.

Reed is involved in Junior Achievement, does commercials for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and helped a family raise money for a 5-year-old who had a brain tumor.

[10] This has included instances of Reed bleaching his hair and letting it grow out, as well as wearing fuchsia clothing to match his girlfriend's outfit for the team's annual fashion show to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

After the Steelers' win in Super Bowl XLIII, Reed dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Penguins-Tampa Bay Lightning game on February 4, 2009.

Reed was cited by police on the night of February 14, 2009, for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief for destroying a paper towel holder in a bathroom at a Sheetz convenience store in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania.

[15] Reed was cited again for public intoxication and disorderly conduct related charges on October 18, 2009, hours after the team defeated the Cleveland Browns.

The incident occurred when tight end Matt Spaeth was cited for urinating in public, and Reed refused to comply with police orders to go back inside his SUV.