In addition to coaching the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl victory, Andy Reid is a devoted husband and father to his close-knit family, many of whom have experienced personal sorrow in the past. After getting married in August 1981 while still a student at Brigham Young University, Reid and Tamara have been together for 42 years and have created a wonderful life.
But even though Andy and Tammy had five children together and moved states while pursuing his job to become one of the NFL’s best coaches, they still faced the challenges of managing a big family.
And after an unintentional heroin overdose in August of 2012, their oldest kid, Garrett, sadly died at the age of 29. At the time, Garrett was found unconscious in his Lehigh University dorm room in Pennsylvania, and later on, it was confirmed by CBS News that he had passed away.
At the time, Garrett was a drug addict in recovery who was working as an assistant coach for strength and conditioning with the Philadelphia Eagles. In an emotional statement acknowledging his passing, the Reid family paid homage to their son.
I would want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your amazing love, support, prayers, and good words at this extremely difficult time for Tammy and our family. As reported by CBS News, Andy stated in a statement from August 2012, “Words cannot express our sense of loss.”
“We cherished Garrett dearly. He was a great brother and son. We shall miss him terribly since he was funny, enjoyable to be around, and always had a smile on his face. He will always remain in our hearts, and we will always remember him lovingly.
Who are the other four children of Andy Reid?
The couple’s second child, 38-year-old Britt Reid, was born while they were “extremely impoverished,” according to Tammy. Regretfully, Britt experienced legal problems and drug addiction similar to those of his older brother.
He was given a three-year jail term in 2022 “for one felony count of driving while intoxicated with serious bodily injury,” according to The New York Times, after he “severely injured a 5-year-old girl in a crash after he drank alcohol on the job.” Britt was reportedly incarcerated at Tipton Correctional Center in April 2023, according to KCTV5.
