Andy Reid’s controversial family history is in the spotlight during the Super Bowl , with son Britt getting into an accident just days before the NFL’s final game, and has left a child fighting for her life.
While he has brought his franchise to the pinnacle of the NFL, looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions with only Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers standing in the way, his personal life has been more turbulent. His sons have struggled with substance abuse and had some run-ins with the law, with the latest incident coming just days before Sunday’s game.
Reid Has Five Children
Reid would meet his future wife, Tammy, while they were students at Brigham Young University, according to ESPN .
Tom Holmoe, Reid’s BYU teammate and the school’s current athletic director, recalled that he and Reid were the only two Lutherans attending the school at the time. When Reid fell in love with Tammy, he decided to convert to the Mormon church, Holmoe recalled.
“I joined the [Mormon] church six years after I left school. Kind of like me, Andy fell in love with a girl [his wife, Tammy]. When I heard he wanted to get baptized, I said to him, ‘Andy, why are you doing this?’ He said, ‘I really believe for me this is the way,’” he told ESPN.
They would be married in 1981, and have five children — sons Garrett, Britt, and Spencer, and daughters Crosby and Drew Ann.
Sons Have Found Controversy
The Chiefs coach’s adult sons have had some trouble during their lives. As ABC News reported, son Garrett died of a drug overdose in October 2012. He had been working as a strength and conditioning coach at Lehigh University when authorities said he accidentally overdosed on heroin. As the report noted, investigators would later find 47 syringes and 65 needles in his gym bag.
Britt Reid has been in trouble in the past as well, pleading guilty to a DUI charge in 2008. He would also plead guilty to a charge of brandishing a weapon at a motorist, and was sentenced to between eight and 23 months in jail.
The brothers actually found themselves in trouble on the same day. As Britt was charged with pointing a gun at a motorist, his brother was charged the same day for running a red light and striking another car, leading to police finding syringes with heroin and testosterone in his vehicle.
Britt Reid was back in the national spotlight this week following a tragic accident. As CBS Sports , he was involved in an accident near the team’s facility in Kansas City that left a young child in critical condition.
The 35-year-old, who serves at the team’s outside linebackers coach, was reportedly driving on Thursday night when his Dodge Ram collided with a car that had broken down on an exit ramp. The driver of the disabled vehicle had called family for help, and members arrived in a Chevrolet Traverse. The Chiefs assistant coach reportedly struck the disabled vehicle, which then struck the car parked in front, injuring two children inside.
Britt Reid did not travel with the team to the game in Tampa.