Yesterday marked the 50-year anniversary of one of the most iconic moments of Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s football career.
On December 13, 1971, a 13-year-old Reid participated in a punt, pass and kick competition during a “Monday Night Football” game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Football Team. In the competition, kids would compete punting, kicking and throwing the ball, with the total distance tallied up to determine the winner.
The video of the event, which can be seen above, has become a thing of legend when it comes to the future Hall of Fame head coach. What made it so funny is that Reid was bigger than any of the kids participating in the competition. He looked as if should be playing for the Rams instead of on the field for the competition at halftime.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Reid reminisced about the experience, sharing some details about it in the process.
“I haven’t been asked about that,” Reid joked. “For a 12, 13-year-old kid it was pretty exciting. I didn’t know it was being filmed, just know that. That one was snuck on me a little bit. There weren’t a lot of 13-year-old’s doing that at that time, that I knew, other than the guys in the competition. But it was fun.”
Reid was asked whether he thought he had a future as an NFL quarterback after making his throw and his answer was as honest as they come.
“I figured at my size that they’d put me on the line,” Reid said.
As it turns out, they did put him on the offensive line when he played in high school and college. Patrick Mahomes gave Reid a bit more credit when it comes to his ability as a passer.
“Yeah, we’ve definitely joked around about it a little bit,” Mahomes said of Reid’s punt, pass, kick appearance. “I actually showed Shane (Buechele) the other day because I saw it on Twitter as well. It’s a funny video. He was a prime athlete at a young age. I’m sure he can still sling it around a little bit.”
Another thing that made this moment so funny is that they misspelled Reid’s last name on the television caption. The caption read, “Andy Ried.” The Chiefs’ head coach joked, saying that moment helped spark his appreciation for the English language.
“They had the vowels mixed up,” Reid said. “That’s why I leaned toward the English side.”
As he walked away from the podium, reporters asked if he still had the jersey and shoulder pads. They were lent to him by Rams RB Lester Josephson because the uniforms and shoulder pads that the team had secured for the other kids didn’t fit on Reid.
“I do, yeah,” he said.
Reid didn’t end up winning the punt, pass and kick competition, but he certainly has some trophies if he does in fact still have the jersey and shoulder pads. The memories will live on forever and the video will surely live on for at least another 50 years.
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