Former Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles played four seasons of his career under Andy Reid, including one of the best seasons of his career back in 2013.
Speaking with Charles about his collaboration with Bud Light for Super Bowl LVII, I wanted to get more perspective on his view of the Chiefs’ head coach. I asked Charles about what makes Reid so special and what drives his success in the NFL.
Charles echoed what many current and former players have said about Reid. He doesn’t try to control his players and he lets their personalities shine through, off the football field, but especially on the football field.
“He just takes what you do best, and he doesn’t try to switch you up,” Charles explained. “Whatever got you here, he’s gonna use all that stuff. Some coaches try to switch their players up and try to basically not let them be them, not let them just be who they are. That’s what Coach Reid (does). He lets you be who you are, he lets your personality shine.”
Reid isn’t going to put his players in a position where they won’t succeed. He instead harnesses what makes them great and unleashes it within his scheme. Reid also embraces who his players are off the field. You look at a player like JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was criticized for his TikTok dances and being himself in Pittsburgh. In Kansas City, he’s been playing spirited football.
“You know, everybody has got (a) different personality,” Charles continued. “It’s hard to put everybody on the same page. But he doesn’t do that. He doesn’t care about that. He just lets you be you, whoever you are, yourself. And he just goes out there and basically puts you in a the best situation to make the team better. And that’s what Coach Andy Reid does, that’s why everybody loves him and respects him because he doesn’t try to tell you to switch up your character. ‘Don’t be you.’ He just tells you, ‘Be you.’ And that’s what makes Coach Andy Reid (special).”
