Reilly was originally drafted from Villanova by the Miami Dolphins in 1973 in the seventh round,[1] although later that year he returned to his Wilmington, Delaware home and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, serving as captain of the squad's special teams for two seasons before ending his career with the New England Patriots.

[3][4] Recovery from surgery as an amputee was difficult and Reilly suffered significant depression but was able to overcome it at least in part due to the support of another NFL player who overcame similar physical trauma from injury in the Vietnam War, Rocky Bleier.

He went on to a 30-year career with Xerox and, having retired from corporate America, is a sports radio broadcaster, appearing on Eagles' pregame and postgame shows.

He is also a motivational speaker, sharing his story with corporate audiences, business leaders, cancer patients, recuperating soldiers, and special needs students.

[8] In 2018, Kevin Reilly, along with John Riley, wrote the book Tackling Life: How Faith, Family and Fortitude Kept an NFL Linebacker in the Game.