Lehigh, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid released a
statement Monday on the death of his oldest son, Garrett, who died Sunday
morning at the age of 29.
"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," Reid said in the statement
that was released by the team.
"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 Reid was found dead in a dorm room at Lehigh University, site of the
Eagles training camp. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday.
In 2007, Garrett Reid was found guilty of driving under the influence of
controlled substances, recklessly driving his vehicle, exceeding the speed
limit, running a red light, and colliding with a vehicle
Garrett Reid was found to be in possession of controlled substances and drug
paraphernalia at the time of the accident. That led to jail time for the
younger Reid.
While serving time, Garrett was caught smuggling drugs into prison. After
serving seven months in prison he was sent to a halfway house.
Garrett was later sent back to jail after his release for failing a drug test
and getting into a fight with another resident at the halfway house where he
was staying.
"Garrett's road through life was not always an easy one," the Eagles coach
said."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."
Per Andy Reid's wishes, Eagles training camp is continuing as scheduled, but
players are expected to be at the funeral Tuesday, which is a day off from
camp.
The Eagles open their preseason schedule Thursday at home against Pittsburgh.
The Sports Network