Andy Reid Returns To Eagles Practice One Day After Son's Funeral

Garrett Reid death ruled heroin overdose

The death of Garrett Reid was confirmed to be caused by an accidental overdose by the Northampton County Coroner on Thursday afternoon. The official cause of death is listed as "acute opiate (heroin) toxicity."

The eldest son of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, Garrett, 29, was found unresponsive on the morning of Aug. 5 in a Lehigh University dorm room before an Eagles training camp practice. Reid was working as a strength and conditioning coach on the staff and had been involved with the team since 2009.

The coroner also confirmed in the announcement that investigators had found drug paraphernalia at the scene, which included a syringe, spoon and prescription medications. Upon searching the Garrett's apartment, investigators also found 47 syringes and needles in a gym bag, as well as 47 vials of an unknown substance.

The toxicology report included a series of tests that included blood, urine and other samples to determine the cause of death.

Eagles Will Hold Moment Of Silence For Garrett Reid, Wear 'GR' Patch

The Philadelphia Eagles will hold a moment of silence for Garrett Reid before Thursday night's Week 1 preseason matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Garrett, the son of head coach Andy Reid, passed away last week. The team will also be wearing a "GR" patch on their helmets to remember Garrett.

Garrett Reid was just 29 years old. He has a history of drugs but by many accounts he had turned his life around and was working with the Eagles. He was in the Eagles dorm room at LeHigh University when he was found.

Andy only took several days off before returning to the Eagles this week. The team rallied around him with Michael Vick even dedicating the season to Garrett Reid.

The Eagles-Steelers game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night. Reid, as you can tell in the photo below (via NFL Network), will be coaching the game.

For an Eagles perspective of all this, visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Andy Reid Returns To Practice With The Eagles, 'Humbled'

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid returned to practice on Wednesday, less than a week after losing his oldest son, Garrett, and just a day after the funeral. Reid made his first in-person comments to the media at practice, thanking fans and the football community for their support.

"I'm a humble man standing before you. Humble because of the outpouring from the football team, from the fans. Unbelievable."

"It's a sad situation. One our son's been battling for years. But it doesn't mean you stop loving him."

"I know coming back as coaching was the right thing to do. I know my son wouldn't want it any other way."

A grief counselor has been on hand for the team, Reid said. The coach also told the media that he has been speaking with Tony Dungy, the former Indianapolis head coach, who also lost a son.

Quarterback Michael Vick said after practice that the Eagles will dedicate their 2012 season to Garrett.

SB Nation's Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation has more coverage of the situation.

Andy Reid Returns To Eagles Practice After Son's Funeral

No one would blame Eagles head coach Andy Reid if he took some time off following the sudden death of his son, Garrett. I don't think anyone would blame him for taking off multiple weeks or even parts of the season. But Reid apparently won't be taking any more time off.

SB Nation's Bleeding Green Nation reports that Reid will attend the Eagles walk-through on Wednesday morning. Afterwards, he'll also be available to speak to the media.

This comes one day after Reid buried his son.

I can see how football might help in a situation like this. The idea of getting back into a routine and doing what you've been doing for several decades is probably comforting at a time like this (if there is such a thing as comfort during a time like this).

The Eagles practice is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET and will be closed to the public. They play the Steelers in Thursday night's preseason opener.

Visit SB Nation's Bleeding Green Nation where they're following the NFL's support of the Reid family during this time.

Saints, Patriots Among Those Attending Garrett Reid's Funeral

As many as 900 people reportedly attended the funeral of Garrett Reid, son of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, on Tuesday. Among the attendees were players, coaches and officials from around the NFL.

Along with most, if not all of the Eagles team, league commissioner Roger Goodell attended the funeral. Several former Eagles players appeared as well, including Brian Westbrook, Ron Jaworski and Jeremiah Trotter. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson also brought a large contingent with him, loading up a private plane with the likes of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and interim head coach Joe Vitt.

Mike Holmgren also made an appearance. He mentored Andy Reid as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in the early 90's. Pat Shurmur and Brad Childress were among those joining Holmgren.

No doubt there are many more not yet identified, all paying their respects to the son of one of the league's most influential coaches.

For more reaction to the death of Garrett Reid, visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Andy Reid's Family Releases Statement On Garrett Reid's Death

After remaining silent initially following the news of the death of his son, Andy Reid released a statement to the media Monday night.

The complete statement from Reid is below:

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

For more reaction to the death of Garrett Reid, visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Andy Reid Expected Back This Week, Says Eagles Owner

Though Andy Reid's oldest son Garrett was found dead in his room at training camp of the Philadelphia Eagles, the team's head coach is not expected to miss much time away from the field.

Following a lengthy private conversation with Reid Sunday afternoon, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told the media that he expects Reid to "be coaching this week and back."

"I know he feels that way," Lurie said. "[Andy is] very, very focused on both his family and his profession."

The team's owner added that despite the grieving that Reid and his family are going through, that all Reid wanted to talk about Sunday was "how incredibly excited he is for this football team."

Andy Reid's sons have had numerous publicized run-ins with the law. In 2007, Garrett was sentenced to 23 months in prison for malicious acts on a motorist's vehicle while high on heroin.

He was currently present at the Eagles training camp as a member of their strength and conditioning staff.

The cause of Garrett Reid's death is still unknown.

For more on the Eagles and Reid, visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Marty Mornhinweg, Juan Castillo Will Oversee Eagles During Andy Reid's Absence

The Philadelphia Eagles received tragic news on Sunday morning when the team learned of the death of Garrett Reid, the eldest son of head coach Andy Reid. In a statement released following the news, the team announced that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will oversee the team during Andy Reid's absence. No date for Reid's return has been set.

The complete statement from the team is below:

The Philadelphia Eagles are sad to announce that Garrett Reid, the oldest son of head coach Andy Reid, has died. Garrett Reid, 29, had been attending Eagles training camp with his father and was found in his room this morning. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and defensive coordinator Juan Castillo oversaw the team's walk-through this morning, and will oversee the team until Reid's return.

General manager Howie Roseman echoed those sentiments in comments to the media on Sunday morning.

"I have some heartbreaking news to share with you all. It is with great sadness that I tell you that Garrett Reid, the oldest son of coach Reid, was found dead this morning in his room here in training camp.

"It is a tough morning for all of us in the Eagles family. Garrett grew up with this team, and that makes this news even harder for us to process. Our hearts go out to Andy, Tammy, Britt, Spencer, Crosby and Drew Ann. Coach has spent the morning informing his family. We ask sincerely that you respect the family's privacy during this time. The team has been informed of this news, as have Jeffrey and Christina. The chief will speak to you in a minute about what is known about this event.

"From a football perspective, I can tell you that Andy has asked that we go forward with training camp. I'm going to turn it over to chief Shupp in a minute. On a personal note, we've been with Andy for a long time. He's always been strong for us, we're going to be strong for him right now. As a father and a friend, we're all hurting. Thank you."

For more rection to the death of Garrett Reid, visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Andy Reid's Son Garrett Found Dead At Eagles Training Camp

Garrett Reid, the eldest son of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid was found dead on Sunday morning at training camp.