Andy Reid is a three-time Super Bowl champion and the leader of a football dynasty.
After the Kansas City Chiefs knocked off the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Reid entered the next level of NFL history.
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With Bill Belichick finally parting ways with the New England Patriots following a disastrous 2023 campaign, no head coach in the current game can come close to matching Reid when it comes to sideline expertise, coaching wins (258) and playoff victories (25).
Reid has even jokingly taken credit for connecting Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce with pop music superstar Taylor Swift.
The father of five is married to his wife Tammy, who has been by Reid’s side from Philadelphia to Kansas City.
But there have been hints the 65-year-old Reid could retire once this season is finished and a look at his past could partly explain why.
For all of Reid’s on-the-field success – highlighted by four Super Bowl appearances in the last five years, with superstars Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Kelce at tight end — the former BYU graduate assistant and Division II coach has dealt with intense personal tragedies.
Reid’s son, Britt, was sentenced in 2022 to three years in prison for driving drunk, speeding and colliding with two parked cars, which left a five-year-old girl with a brain injury and left six injured.
Britt previously was a Chiefs outside linebackers coach under his father.
The incident occurred three days before Super Bowl LV, which saw Tom Brady win his first world championship without Belichick as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Chiefs 31-9.
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Britt was driving almost 85 mph in a 65 mph zone when his truck hit cars along an entrance ramp near the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, according to the Associated Press.
“My heart bleeds for everybody involved in that,” Reid said after Kansas City fell to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV. “My heart goes out to all those who were involved in the accident, in particular the family with the little girl who’s fighting for her life.
“I can’t comment on it any more than what I am here. So the questions you have, I’m going to have to turn those down. But just from a human standpoint, my heart bleeds for everybody involved.”
Britt didn’t coach in the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers or travel with the Chiefs to Tampa for the game.
But after Kansas City was blown out, some theorized Reid’s team had been distracted by the tragedy involving his son, which the coach moved to quash.
“We had put the game plan in the week before. The distraction wasn’t a distraction as far as the game plan goes,” he said. “That was already in and how we were going to work with it and go forward.
“From a human standpoint, it’s a tough one. From a football standpoint, I don’t think that was a problem.”
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Reid, whose thick moustache and love for cheeseburgers are well known by NFL fans, was dealt an especially tough blow in 2012 while being the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philly went 130-93-1 under Reid, reaching the Super Bowl in 2004 against Brady, Belichick and the New England Patriots with Donovan McNabb at QB and Terrell Owens at wide receiver.
But during Reid’s last year coaching the Eagles, tragedy struck.
His son, Garrett, died from an accidental heroin overdose.
Garrett, who was working as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, was discovered dead in his dorm room in August 2012 during Philadelphia’s preseason training camp.
Investigators found a used syringe and spoon in his room, along with a bag filled with dozens of syringes and needles.
Before his death, Garrett was viewed as a recovering drug addict who was trying to turn his life around.
“These results sadly confirmed what we had expected all along,” a statement from the Reid family said.
“We understood that Garrett’s long-standing battle with addiction was going to be difficult. He will, however, always have our family’s love and respect for the courage he showed in trying to overcome it. In the end, we take comfort in our faith and know that he’s in a better place.
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“There are many other individuals and families engaged in this struggle in their own lives, and they will always have our support, encouragement, and understanding. Never give up!”
Reid’s son, Spencer, is currently an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Chiefs.
The best coach in the NFL is 25-16 all-time in the playoffs and coached in his fifth Super Bowl on Sunday against the 49ers in Las Vegas.
For soccer fans, a fair comparison in terms of winning, could be made with Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United coach who won two Champions Leagues in addition to 13 domestic titles.
With Kansas City going back-to-back in the big game, Reid has built a football dynasty with the Chiefs while overcoming personal tragedy.
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“Am I retiring? Listen, my mom and dad told me this when they were working, they said, ‘You’ll know when it’s time,’ ” said Reid, as kickoff for Super Bowl LVIII approached. “I’m ready to go right now. Let’s go.
“That’s what they would tell me when I was young. I was an inquisitive kid, and so that’s the way I look. Somewhere, you’re going to know when it’s time. Today’s not the day.”
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