Joe Judge was still in high school when Andy Reed arrived in Philadelphia to train his beloved Eagles.
After more than two decades, the two teams will meet as rival coaches for the first time, when the Giants visit the Chiefs on Monday night.
“I had a lot of respect for him, I really did. I remember when he came in and thought he did a really, really good job right away by moving his team in a certain direction,” the judge said on Saturday. “He is one of the few coaches [that] I actually saw the post-match presses.”
Reed coached the Eagles from 1999-2012, leading them to six NFC East titles and one Super Bowl appearance. He earned his first title with the Chiefs and led them to five consecutive titles in West Asia. The work he did with the Eagles, however, made an impression on Judge, who grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia.
Judge closely followed when Reed was with the Eagles and admired the way he handled his press conferences, not just what he said, but how he got to his point. One summer, Judge spent time around the Eagles and watching them train. Monday night, he will face Reed.
“There have been various exposures to me with him, things he probably won’t remember, but a lot of respect for him, sure,” Judge said.
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