MIAMI (AP) — Andy Reid is often asked how he comes up with the wild plays that have become a hallmark of the Kansas City Chiefs.
His son provided the best explanation yet this week.
Big Reid was born to parents, Britt Reid explained, who imparted in him wildly different skill sets. The science, math and traditional book smarts came from Elizabeth Reid, who was a radiologist. The creativity and artistry came from Walter Reid, who was a scenic artist in Hollywood who designed backgrounds and props for television, film and stage shows.
“That’s two drastically different people,” said Britt, who coaches outside linebackers. “My dad is actually a great artist himself. He can do caricatures — I mean, a lot of stuff. Carvings, stuff like that. Of anybody. He’ll just whip them up. So he’s got that side, then he’s got that intellectual side that his mother passed along, the more refined, calculating side. I think that serves him well, in this business especially.”
Britt said his father will often doodle plays on 5-by-7 note cards in his spare time, then share them with the rest of the coaches and quarterbacks. If they like an idea, they’ll try the play design in practice. One or two a week usually make it from the practice field all the way to the game plan. When they work, the Chiefs coach will usually smile and wink.
“When you think about it,” Britt said, “it all makes sense. These plays are basically art. It’s all about lines. You draw these route trees, you’re drawing art, really. It’s easy to see the connection.”
And that’s part of why the Chiefs play San Francisco on Sunday in the Super Bowl.