By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com
(The Phanatic Magazine) - Garrett Reid, the troubled son of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, was found dead on Sunday morning at Lehigh University, where the Eagles are holding training camp.
The team went through with morning practice but Andy Reid wasn't present.
"I have some heartbreaking news to share with you all," an emotional Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said in a press conference. "It is with great sadness that I tell you Garrett Reid, the oldest son of coach Reid, was found dead this morning in his room here at training camp. This is a tough morning for all us."
Roseman said Reid asked the team to go forward with training camp. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo oversaw the team’s walk-through Sunday morning, and will continue to oversee the team until Reid’s return.
"He's always been strong for us, we're going to be strong for him right now," Roseman said.
Garrett Reid, who was at camp to assist the team's strength coaches, was found unresponsive in his room and was already deceased when the police arrived at the campus dormitory.
"This morning at approximately 7:20 am, officers received a 9-1-1 call about an unresponsive male in the Sayre Park dormitories," Lehigh police chief Chief Edward Shupp said. "Upon arrival it was observed that attempts were made to revive the individual and it was unsuccessful. The individual, Garrett Reid, was deceased upon the officer’s arrival there were no suspicious activities."
No cause of death was released but Garrett Reid has had a history of drug offenses.
"We are conducting an investigation with the cooperation of the Lehigh University Police Department, and I personally pronounced Mr. [Garrett] Reid deceased at the scene," Northampton county coroner Zachary Lysek said. "The investigation will be ongoing and at this time will be pending the completion of the investigation.”
Reid first made headlines in January 2007, when running a red light in
Plymouth Township and seriously injured a woman while under the
influence of heroin.
At a sentencing hearing for that offense before Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill, Reid admitted that he has been selling drugs since the summer of 2002.
The judge, who sentenced Reid to two to 23 months in prison at the time, also issued a stern rebuke to Andy Reid, who was in the courtroom with his wife, Tammy. O'Neill likened the Reid household to "a drug emporium" and questioned whether his adult sons should live there.
"There isn't any structure there that this court can depend upon," O'Neill said at the time. "I'm saying this is a family in crisis."
O'Neill's words proved prophetic.
While serving time in a Montco jail for his drug-induced car crash,
Reid was caught smuggling 89 prescription pills into jail. He also was also sent to Graterford Prison after being involved in an altercation at a halfway house for drug treatment.
Garrett Reid offered a glimpse of his psyche during his sentencing hearing all those years ago, saying he enjoyed dealing in North Philadelphia and liked feeling powerful.
"I liked being the rich kid in that area and having my own high status life," Reid said in a statement. "I could go anywhere in the 'hood. They all knew who I was. I enjoyed it. I liked being a drug dealer."
Garrett Reid was just 29 years old.
“This news is heartbreaking for everyone in the Eagles family. Our
hearts go out to Andy, his wife, Tammy, and their children,” Eagles
owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
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