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Andy Reid’s wife is Tammy Reid. They have five children together, and are each other’s only marriages. Tammy and Andy have been together for over thirty years.
Tammy and Andy’s children are Spencer, Britt, Garrett, Crosby, and Drew Ann; Garrett, the oldest, tragically died in 2012 at 29 years old from a heroin overdose.
Tammy and Andy met at Brigham Young University when they were both undergraduates. Here’s what you need to know about their marriage:
1. Tammy & Andy Met While They Were Undergraduates at BYU; They Were Married in 1982
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Tammy and Andy met as undergraduates at Brigham Young University, and were married in 1982.
According to a profile of Andy Reid by the Chiefs that has since been cited by PlayerWives, Tammy is the only one who calls Andy “Andrew,” and said that he didn’t ask her out for a while after they met.
Tammy is often present at Andy’s press conferences, and they have stood by one another in the wake of the tragedies that have befallen their family in the last ten years. She is, according to The New York Times, a stay-at-home mom.
2. Tammy & Andy Have Five Children: Garrett, Spencer, Britt, Crosby, & Drew Ann
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Tammy and Andrew have had five children together: Garrett (who tragically passed away of a heroin overdose in 2012), Spencer, Britt, Crosby, and Drew Ann.
Britt is now the defensive line coach of the Chiefs, working beneath his father. Spencer, the youngest, enrolled at Temple University in 2011 to play football. Little is known of Drew Ann and Crosby, though Crosby did sing the national anthem before a game in 2015.
In an interview with Philly Magazine, Andy pointed out how busy his wife was, between dealing with their sons’ (Garrett and Britt) drug addiction and keeping the rest of the family afloat. Tammy also spoke about her experience trying to juggle the needs of her family while visiting Garrett in prison, saying,
I went up for the family weekend. I didn’t take our kids, because we weren’t at that point yet. We had a family council, and told them Garrett has some problems with drug use, and we’re taking him to a clinic. But I didn’t take them up because I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t want my three little kids involved in all that. There were counseling sessions, you break into little groups, we write letters to the addiction. It was a very emotional weekend.
3. Tammy Gave No Immediate Comment When Her Son, Garrett, Died of an Overdose
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When their son, Garrett, died of a heroin overdose in August of 2012, Tammy gave no immediate comment. The New York Times noted in its coverage of the event that it was extremely unlike Tammy, who was considered to be more talkative than Andy. Later, Andy would give a press conference thanking his team, the media, and their community at large for supporting them at such a difficult time.
An ESPN profile of Reid noted that he had said in the past how important it was for spouses of troubled children to give each other room to grieve, to vent, and to be frustrated. He also said that he sends his wife flowers frequently, and how parents of drug-addicted children rarely stay together.
Tammy said to Philly Magazine in 2007 that her sons’ battles with drug addiction had taught her to be more open and patient with others. She said, “I think the first thing is that you’re not alone… There are thousands, probably millions of people going through the same thing. I go around now, to the grocery store, or out playing tennis, wherever my life takes me, Sam’s or Costco or wherever, I look at people differently now — I wonder, what burdens are they carrying?”
4. The Reid Family Believes in ‘Family Councils’ in Which Tammy Claims She ‘Reads the Coverage’
#Chiefs’ staff changes include promotions for Britt Reid (Andy’s son) and Al Harris: t.co/6dCxgiTTdq
In their interview with Philly Magazine in 2007, Tammy gave insight into how the Reid family dealt with all of the ups and downs of their life, especially related to their two sons’ addiction struggles at the time.
Tammy said, “We have family councils all the time to keep the communication open. My job as a mom is to read the coverage, I call it. I call Andrew and say, you need to be at this function. He’s not any different from anybody else — everybody has their jobs, there are things they have to be at, so it’s mom’s job to let dad know when he really needs to jump in.”
She continued to praise her husband, saying, “And he’s a great dad. He will drop a meeting, he will drop whatever he’s doing, if our kids need him. So it’s not like we’re ever competing with his job. Our kids get that. We have a daughter at Harriton, a son at St. Joe’s Prep, and another daughter in college.”
5. Tammy & Andy Are Devout Mormons
Tammy and Andy Reid are devout Mormons. Reid cited his faith when speaking about his son’s death in the presser following the announcement, and to Philly Magazine in 2007, he said that he and his wife don’t just turn to God when they’re feeling up against the wall.
Reid said, “I wouldn’t say that [our struggles deepened our faith]. 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 added, “When you’re a member of the Mormon Church, you live your religion, and that’s what we try to do.”