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Andy Reid’s family is comprised of his wife, Tammy, his two daughters, Crosby and Drew Ann, and his three sons, Spencer, Britt, and Garrett; Garrett, who was his oldest child, passed away in 2012 of a heroin overdose.
Andy and his wife have been outspoken about their family’s battles with drug addiction in the past; both Britt and Garrett served time in prison in the early 2000’s for drug-related offenses.
To Philly Magazine in 2007,Reid said of his family and how he approached his sons’ addiction struggles: “It’s unconditional love. We’ve got other kids, we’re going to their events all over the place, especially Tam — she’s got something every night she’s dealing with.”
Reid continued, “You don’t stop doing that. But at the same time, you’re dealing with the others, and they’ve got to know you love them. But they also have to know that, hey — you’re an adult, you’ve got to get it together.”
Here’s what you need to know about the Reid family:
1. Reid Has Been Married to His Wife, Tammy; They Are Devout Mormons
Reid has been married to his wife, Tammy, since 1983. Tammy is a stay-at-home mom, according to The New York Times. The pair met at Brigham Young University as undergraduates.
According to an interview in Philly Magazine in 2007, both Tammy and Garrett Reid are devout Mormons. When asked if their problems with their sons’ drug addictions deepened their Mormon faith, Andy answered, “I wouldn’t say that. I’m always the one who gives that lecture — don’t wait until the plane’s crashing and become religious. And then say, ‘If you save me, I’m going to be stronger.’ Don’t do that.”
Reid continued, “When you’re a member of the Mormon Church, you live your religion, and that’s what we try to do.”
PlayerWives cites a profile of Andy Reid on the Chiefs site that is no longer available, in which Tammy is reportedly the only person who calls her husband “Andrew.”
2. Andy & Tammy Have Five Children, Three Boys & Two Girls
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Andy and Tammy Reid have five children: Britt, Spencer, Garrett (who has since passed away), Crosby, and Drew Ann.
The Reid sons have been in the limelight on and off for the last decade, due to their battles with drug addiction. However, one of the Reids’ daughters, stepped into the public eye in 2015 for another reason: singing the national anthem before a football game.
At a press conference after the game, Reid said of his daughter’s performance, “She definitely takes after her mother…I thought she did a real nice job. It’s hard to hear down there, but I thought she did a good job.”
All of the Reid children are now adults.
3. Two of the Three Reid Sons Have All Publicly Battled Addiction in the Last Decade
The three Reid sons, Spencer, Britt, and Garrett, have all battled publicly with addiction and the law over the last decade; Garrett eventually died, tragically, of a heroin overdose in 2012.
In 2007, both Britt and Garrett were sentenced to jail terms for various drug offenses, in which a judge compared the Reid home to a “drug emporium,” according to ESPN. Garrett, a dealer and drug addict at the time, was sentenced to 23 months in jail for smashing someone’s car while he was high on heroin, according to ESPN. Britt, who told the judge he’d struggled with addiction since a high school injury led him to painkillers, was also sentenced to up to 23 months on gun and drug charges, per the publication.
Amidst their jail stints, Tammy and Andy gave an in-depth interview with Philly Magazine in 2007 about their support as a family, their plans to get their children into rehab facilities, and the challenges of being a supportive parent to a drug-addicted child.
In the interview, Tammy said of the challenge to be a good parent for a child with an addiction,
You’re thinking, let’s try one more time. Because that’s what you do as a parent. You think, okay, it didn’t work the last couple of times, but there’s still hope. We raised these boys. We taught them to pray, taught them to ride their bikes — you see this potential in him, and you’re just not going to give up. And that’s the one great thing from all the letters we’ve gotten, they all say, stay with them, always tell them you love them, show them you love them, do what you can, but know that they’ve got to do it themselves. Are we going to be there for them all the time? Yes, no matter what happens.
Both Britt and Garrett eventually were released. Britt has since followed his father’s footsteps and taken steps to work within the football coaching industry. Garrett tragically passed away of a heroin overdose in 2012. As for Spencer, the youngest of Reid’s children, he committed to play football at Temple in 2011, and does not have a criminal record.
4. Garrett Reid Died of a Heroin Overdose in 2012
On August 5, 2012, Garrett Reid was found dead in a dorm room at Lehigh University, where he had been assisting the Eagles strength coaches in an unofficial capacity. A coroner later confirmed that his death was the result of a heroin overdose, per USA Today.
Following the announcement of his death, then-Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said in a statement via USA Today, “This is a very difficult situation for us all to deal with. Our thoughts and prayers and condolences go out to coach Reid, Tammy and his entire family. Coach has always been a rock for us. We’re going to lean on him, be there for him and stay strong for him until he can come back to lead us on.”
Then, in December of that year authorities revealed that there had been steroids in Garrett’s room as well at the time of his death, ESPN reported, though there was no indication that Garrett had been giving them to players.
Eagles Chairman Jeffrey Lucie gave a statement following that news, and said that none of the players or coaches were aware of the steroids in Garrett’s room. Via ESPN, Lucie said in a statement, “While we remained saddened by the tragic end of a young man’s life and know how hard this must be for the entire Reid family, we are extremely confident that Garrett’s actions were unknown to those around him and did not involve our football team.”
In a courtroom in 2007, before he was sentenced to up to 23 months of prison for the car crash he got in while on heroin, ESPN reported that Garrett detailed to the judge how he became addicted in the first place, ending up in rehab for the first time when he was only 20 years old.
“I liked being the rich kid in that area and having my own high-status life,” Garrett wrote in a statement read by the judge. “I could go anywhere in the ‘hood. They all knew who I was. I enjoyed it. I liked being a drug dealer.”
The statement continued, “I did get a thrill out of it. That was also part of the whole new world that opened up to me when I smoked that first joint.”
5. In 2016, Reid’s Son Britt Was Promoted to Defensive Line Coach of the Chiefs
In 2016, Britt Reid was promoted to defensive line coach of the Chiefs, where he still works. Per The Kansas City Star, he first joined his father’s staff in 2013 in a position as a defensive quality control coach, and then was promoted to assistant defensive line coach in 2015.
In a news release on the matter, Andy Reid said of his son’s promotion, “Over the past three seasons we’ve been able to develop some very talented young coaches from within our program. Britt, Corey and Mark all started with us as quality control coaches when I first arrived here in Kansas City. Al has done a nice job making the transition from Pro Bowl player to an effective coach.”
Reid continued, “They’ve each grown significantly and shown me with their abilities, work ethic and knowledge of the game, that they have earned their opportunities for expanded roles.”