When the confetti falls and Andy Reid is hoisted onto a podium, you usually see him draped in Kansas City Chiefs red, grinning behind that iconic mustache. He looks like everyone’s favorite football-loving grandfather. But if you look closer at the family gathered around him, you’re seeing a group that has survived more than most people can imagine.
Andy Reid's kids are a study in contrasts.
You have the public triumphs of a coaching dynasty mixed with the kind of private agony that makes most men crumble. It’s a heavy story. It's messy. Honestly, it’s a lot more human than the "perfection" we usually demand from NFL royalty. Andy and his wife, Tammy, have five children: Garrett, Britt, Crosby, Drew Ann, and Spencer.
The weirdest trivia fact? Every single one of them was born in a different state. That's the reality of a coach's life—you move where the job is.
The Tragedy of Garrett Reid
We have to talk about Garrett. You can't understand the Reid family without knowing about the eldest son. Garrett was the one who struggled most publicly. For years, he fought a brutal battle with drug addiction. It wasn't a secret. In 2007, things got dark when both Garrett and his brother Britt were sent to jail for separate incidents involving drugs and weapons.
The judge at the time called the Reid home a "drug emporium." That’s a quote that still stings.
Garrett seemed to be turning it around, though. By 2012, he was helping the Philadelphia Eagles as an unofficial strength and conditioning assistant. He was at training camp at Lehigh University. He was supposed to be in a safe environment. But on a Sunday morning in August, he was found dead in his dorm room.
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It was a heroin overdose. He was only 29.
Losing a child is a nightmare. Losing them while you're in the middle of a high-pressure NFL season is an almost impossible weight to carry. Andy was back at practice just two days after the funeral. Some people called him stoic; others thought he was using football as a shield. Maybe it was both.
Britt Reid and the Shadow of 2021
Britt is likely the name you've heard most recently, and for all the wrong reasons. Like his father, Britt was drawn to the sidelines. He worked his way up to becoming the outside linebackers coach for the Chiefs. He had a Super Bowl ring. He had the career path.
Then came February 4, 2021.
Just days before Super Bowl LV, Britt crashed his pickup truck into two cars parked on an entrance ramp near Arrowhead Stadium. He had been drinking. A five-year-old girl named Ariel Young was in one of those cars. She suffered a traumatic brain injury that changed her life forever.
Britt's blood alcohol level was .113.
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The fallout was massive. He didn't travel to the Super Bowl. He was eventually sentenced to three years in prison in 2022. Even though Missouri Governor Mike Parson commuted his sentence to house arrest in 2024, the damage was done. The "Reid family" name was once again linked to a tragedy that didn't happen on a football field. It’s a grim reminder that even the most successful families have cracks that run deep.
The Quiet Strength of the Reid Daughters
While the sons have often made headlines for their struggles, the daughters—Crosby and Drew Ann—have lived a much quieter life. They are the backbone of the family's "normal" side.
Crosby Reid is the eldest daughter. If you were at Arrowhead in 2019, you might have heard her. She sang the national anthem before a game against the Chargers. She’s got a voice. Andy usually jokes that she gets all her musical talent from Tammy because he "can't carry a tune in a bucket." She’s married now and has stayed largely out of the tabloid cycle, which is probably a smart move.
Then there’s Drew Ann. She’s the fourth-born. She lives a very private life in Kansas City with her husband, Devin Woodhouse, who works as a strength and conditioning specialist. They have children of their own, making Andy a grandfather many times over.
Spencer Reid: Carrying the Coaching Torch
Spencer is the youngest. If you look at him, the resemblance to his dad is striking. He played football at Temple University and, like his brothers, felt the pull of the game. But instead of the tactical side of coaching, Spencer went into the "grind" side—strength and conditioning.
He’s worked at:
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- Boston College
- Colorado State
- The Kansas City Chiefs (as an intern)
He’s the one who seems to have found a way to stay in the family business without the baggage that followed Garrett or Britt. He’s carved out a niche that relies on his kinesiology degree rather than just his last name.
What This Tells Us About Andy Reid
People often ask how Andy Reid keeps winning. How does he keep his focus when his family life has been so turbulent?
It’s about resilience. Sorta.
The Reids are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their faith is a massive part of why they stay together. Tammy Reid has been the glue through every police report and every funeral. When Andy won his first Super Bowl in Kansas City, the first thing he did wasn't talk about the play-call—it was find his family.
There's a lot of nuance here. You can admire Andy's coaching while acknowledging the family's failures. You can feel for the victims of Britt’s crash while also feeling for a father who lost his firstborn to a needle. It’s not black and white.
The Reid family story is basically a Shakespearean drama set in the NFL. It’s got the heights of glory and the depths of human error.
If you want to understand the man wearing the headset on Sundays, you have to understand the five kids who helped shape him. They aren't just names in a program. They are the reason he stays so grounded, even when the world thinks he’s a god of the gridiron.
Next Steps for You:
If you're following the legal or personal history of the Reid family, keep an eye on Britt Reid’s status. His 2024 commutation sparked a lot of debate about celebrity privilege and justice. Additionally, watching how Spencer Reid’s career develops in the college ranks will tell you a lot about the next generation of the Reid coaching tree.