Teddy Bridgewater Tells High School Football Suspension Story, & It’s Actually Pretty Sad: “MNW Is In A Tough Neighborhood… Was Just Trying To Protect Them”

Teddy Bridgewater is back in the NFL, but he’s not forgetting about his high school team at Miami Northwestern.

In case you didn’t hear, the newly signed Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and former high school football coach got into a bit of trouble last month. I say “trouble,” but there are really a lot of question marks when you hear what Bridgewater got in trouble for. He was suspended by Miami Northwestern for “providing impermissible benefits,” which ended up mostly being food and rides for his players.

Reports say he was paying out-of-pocket for additional team expenses, and even asked fans and parents of players in the program to help cover costs for the team, including $700 per week for Uber rides, around $2,200 for pre-game meals during the season, and just over $1,000 for athletic recovery services.

Bridgewater, a former University of Louisville standout and trusted starter in the NFL, had left the NFL behind to coach high school football. He led the Miami Northwestern team to a Class 3A State Championship in his first year as their head coach, and was likely going to return to his coaching role before he was suspended.

Teddy took to Facebook to defend himself initially, saying:

“The suspension came from MNW and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you. So if I’m suspended from MNW, I’m free to go to another school of my choice but I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.”

In case it wasn’t clear, Bridgewater was basically volunteering as a head coach for the program.

But now, the 32-year-old has taken his talents back to the NFL. After briefly joining the Detroit Lions as a backup at the end of last season, Teddy signed on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after visiting with the team earlier this week. After training camp today, Bridgewater sat down in front of the media and was asked about the situation at Miami Northwestern.

Here’s what he said about his suspension:

“I think everyone knows that I’m just a charitable guy, a cheerful giver. And I’m a protector. I’m a father first before anything, and when I decided to coach, those players became my sons. I just wanted to make sure that I protect them in the best way that I can. I think that’s what came about.

Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood. Sometimes things can happen when kids are walking home. I was just trying to protect them, give them a ride home instead of them having to take those dangerous walks.”

And he got suspended for that? Sheesh.

Teddy went on to say that even though he knows he didn’t do anything wrong necessarily, at least in his eyes, the suspension has still been tough on him:

“It was difficult, because I have so many relationships with those young men down in South Florida at Miami Northwestern. It’s a great group of kids, and they see so much hope when they look at me. I always said it’s food for my soul, it’s the way that I feed my soul and it allows me to stay young being around those kids.

Now that I’m back in the league, it’s actually going to be motivation for them as well. They’ll play a game on Friday night, drive across the state and come watch the Bucs win, and see coach on the sideline.”