Eagles Coach Andy Reid Releases Statement About Son’s Death, Implies It Was Drug-Related

Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid has released a statement regarding his son Garrett Reid’s death, subtly confirming fears that the younger Reid had passed away after a long battle with drugs.

YardBarker reports that the Reid family statement acknowledged that Garrett lost his life after battling drugs for years, saying:

“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.”

Garrett was discovered unresponsive on Sunday in his room at the Eagles’ training camp at Lehigh University, and declared dead when paramedics arrived. The Philadelphia Enquirer notes that Eagles tackle Todd Herremans stated on Monday morning that he would be surprised if Reid’s death was a result of his previous problems with the law, saying that there was no sign that the 29-year-old, who worked with the Eagles’ strength and conditioning staff, was having drug problems again.

Eagles Center Jason Kelce also responded to assumptions that drugs played a role in Garrett’s death, saying:

“I don’t want to get into his past. I think that’s been gone into enough. All I can speak on is Garrett as an individual and a person I knew. There wasn’t a single guy who was a better person, day in and day out toward everybody on the team, wanted to see everybody succeed, genuinely wanted to see the team win. He was awesome, every single day for us.”

Andy Reid’s statement regarding the death of his son, Garrett Reid, went on to say:

“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.”

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