Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s first Super Bowl victory is bittersweet.
Reid’s son Garrett passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2012 at the age of 29 when the elder Reid was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was most definitely on his father’s mind after his team defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
“You can’t help but think of him. Absolutely,” Reid, 61, said Sunday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I’m all right there. I think of the good things,” he added. “I try to. Always the good things.”
Reid and wife, Tammy, have four other kids: Britt, Spencer, Crosby, and Drew Ann, all of whom attended the game.
Britt serves as the Chiefs' linebackers coach and has dealt with his own issues. In 2007, he was arrested in a road-rage incident, and police found drugs in his car. Garrett was arrested the very same day after police found heroin in his car following a crash that left the driver of another vehicle injured, ESPN reported at the time.
Tammy Reid said it was nice to have everyone at the Super Bowl, even though they missed Garrett.
“The fact that we were all here, that was amazing,” she told the Inquirer. “Except for ‘G.’ So sad, but I know he’s watching us.”
Crosby Reid also said she felt her brother was looking down on them.
“Garrett’s spirit was there. It was a huge family moment seeing my dad’s dream finally come true," she said.
Reid, considered to be one of the NFL’s best head coaches, had come close to winning the Super Bowl before Sunday's win. He coached the Eagles when they fell to the New England Patriots in 2004.
He just wrapped up his 21st season of being a head coach in the NFL and is considered by many to be a future Hall of Famer. He said winning the Super Bowl was a wonderful moment for his entire family.
“I think it’s great for them. It sure can’t hurt,” Reid said. “It’s a positive. With the loss of Garrett, he was there for us, with us.”