Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets attributes his success as an establis ed athlete to his parents, Eileen and Gene Zuerlein. Greg’s drive and enthusiasm for the game, together with his parents’ support, have enabled him to achieve tremendous heights in the world of athletics. Let’s take a look at Eileen and Gene Zuerlein’s contributions to Greg Zuerlein’s success.
Greg Zuerlein, nicknamed “Greg the Leg,” is a placekicker for the New York Jets of the National Football League.
Zuerlein was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on December 27, 1987. The 2006 Lincoln Pius X graduate established a Nebraska state record for field goals in a season during his junior year. He started his undergraduate career on a football scholarship at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and continued at Missouri Western. Zuerlein was selected 171st overall by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Zuerlein had his greatest season with the Rams in 2017, earning him first-team All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl. With 158 points and 11.3 points per game, he was even the NFL scoring leader. Furthermore, following a two-year stay with the Dallas Cowboys, Zuerlein signed with the New York Jets in 2022.
Greg Zuerlein Parents: Eileen and Gene Zuerlein
His parents, Eileen and Gene Zuerlein, raised him in Nebraska. He was raised in a close-knit household that valued values, hard effort, and encouragement. Despite his current NFL legend status, Zuerlein’s parents were not gifted athletes. In truth, Eileen, his mother, was an accountant. She quipped in an interview that she was usually the last person picked for teams.
This might be one of the key reasons Zuerlein did not join the popular practice of kicking. Unlike other youngsters, he never attended any particular kicking camps before to enrolling in college. Zuerlein had no idea he could kick nicely until his sophomore year. In reality, he intended to leave after freshman year to concentrate on soccer.
His father, Gene, sometimes shares his recollections of his son’s games with the media. According to him, the placekicker has the power to block anything between him and the goalposts. Zuerlein’s parents have always been pillars of support for him. Having them at his side during difficult times has assisted him in overcoming various unavoidable obstacles in his professional career.
Greg Zuerlein’s Wife and Children
Since 2013, the NFL placekicker has been married to his high school sweetheart, Megan Zuerlein (née Kreifels). Megan Kreifels was born in 1989 to Terry and Barbara Kreifels and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pius X High School alumnus went on to play goalkeeper for the Hastings College girls’ soccer team. Her notable accomplishment followed her selection as Lincoln Journal Star Athlete of the Year in 2011. She is also a registered nurse, having graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
Megan has five children: girls Emma and Morgan, as well as boys Greg Jr., Samuel, and Nicholas. Emma, their first child, was born in 2014 after they married on April 27, 2013. Morgan, the couple’s second child, was born on June 14, 2015. Greg Jr., Samuel, and Nicholas, their kids, were born in August 2016, November 2018, and August 2020, respectively.
