By Andy Reid on Transitioning from Philadelphia: “It’s Gonna be Great for the Eagles”
January 8, 2013 – 7:30 am by Brad Gagnon
The Andy Reid era is underway in Kansas City, with the long-time Philadelphia Eagles head coach relieving Romeo Crennel with the Chiefs. While Reid’s excited about what’s to come in Kansas City, he also admits the Eagles might be better off moving on after all these years.
Andy Reid joined Soren Petro on WHB in Kansas City to discuss his new job in Kansas City, the interest he had elsewhere, leaving Philadelphia and the Chiefs’ quarterback position.
On the Hunt family and the team’s history being a feature attracting him to Kansas City:
“There are some great families in the National Football League — the Rooneys and the Maras and the Hunts. So as a coach, you realize that, you understand the history involved, you understand the history that is the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s phenomenal. … So when Clark came calling, I listened. It catches your attention. It was that simple. It wasn’t the record, it was the whole thing, the big picture of the Kansas City Chiefs that lured me there.”
On picking Kansas City over other teams pursuing him:
“There are a lot of family ties that I have out west. I actually have a home out west, and so there were teams that had talked from out in that area. My wife is from out west. So a bunch of those type of things going on. But listen, when the Hunt family calls, you listen. There’s just something about that. I’ve been in this league long enough to understand it and appreciate it, and so I listened. Were there other teams right there? Yeah, there were other teams right there. It’s a bit of an awkward situation. You don’t want to tell anybody no, but at the same time you want to do what you think is best. And I feel like I did that.”
On it being the right time for him to move on from the Eagles and the Eagles to move on from him:
“I think change can be good. I think it can be good. And you kind of live and you learn as you go. I have nothing but good things to say about Philadelphia. Jeff Lurie and I are very good friends, besides being business partners in the National Football League. But I think it’s gonna be great for the Eagles. It’ll be great for them to get a new start. And I think, on the other hand, this will be great here. I feel very good about it. I’ve always had a lot of energy, I feel like I’ve still got it and I’m very excited to take this adventure here and see what we can do.”
On not finding the next franchise quarterback overnight:
“That might not happen this year. It might not; it’s all new. If it’s the guys here, they’ve gotta learn a new system. If it’s outside and you bring a young guy in, they’ve gotta learn a new system. Free agency — you never know what it’s going to bring. So that position might not just grow right there and be an exact deal right now. So what you do is you get in, you dig in, you teach. You build it up– let’s see what we can get.”
On which he prefers, cheese steaks or Barbecue:
“I obviously have had too much of both.”
Listen to Andy Reid on WHB here
Tags: Andy Reid, Clark Hunt, Jeffrey Lurie, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, NFL coaching changes, Philadelphia Eagles
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