Andy Reid Says His Son “Lost the Battle”

In a statement released the day before his oldest son's funeral, the Eagles head coach implies Garrett's death was the result of his long battle with drugs

Eagles head coach Andy Reid is talking for the first time about his oldest son's death, implying that it may have been drug-related.

In a statement released Monday, he describes how his son "worked to overcome challenges" and lost the battle he's been fighting for eight years.

Garrett Reid, 29, was found dead early Sunday in a Lehigh University dorm room. He was staying there for Eagles training camp.

Garrett had a long and very public history with drug abuse.

In 2007, he admitted to being high on heroin when he crashed into another car, injuring the driver.

When he stood in the courtroom to plead guilty to the accident, he told the judge, "I don't want to die doing drugs. I don't want to be that kid who was the son of the head coach of the Eagles, who was spoiled and on drugs and OD'd and just faded into oblivion."

His official cause of death has not been released.

Here is Andy Reid's full statement: 

On behalf of Tammy and our family, I would like to thank everybody for their tremendous support, love, kind words and prayers during this time of great sadness. Words cannot express our sense of loss.

We loved Garrett so much. He was a wonderful son and brother. He made us laugh, he was a pleasure to be around, he always had a smile on his face, and we will miss him dearly. We will never forget him, and we will remember him with love.

Garrett’s road through life was not always an easy one. He faced tremendous personal challenges with bravery and spirit. As a family, we stood by him and were inspired as he worked to overcome those challenges. Even though he lost the battle that has been ongoing for the last eight years, we will always remember him as a fighter who had a huge, loving heart.

I spoke with the team yesterday and thanked them for their thoughts and prayers. I asked them to continue with their preparations for the upcoming season until I am ready to rejoin the team.

It is in times like these that we lean on our faith, our family, our friends, and our Eagles family. We will do so in the difficult times ahead.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Andy Reid

The Reid family said in lieu of flowers, people are welcome to send donations to a charity they have long supported, The Laurel House, which supports victims of domestic violence.

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