Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Teddy Bridgewater pivoted to a job as the head coach for the high school he attended in Miami after deciding to bring his NFL career to an end. He was hit with a suspension last season for the impermissible benefits some of his players received, but Florida is on the verge of passing a law that would prevent people in similar situations from being punished for trying to do some good.
Miami Northwestern Senior High School has produced a number of notable alumni who’ve ended up playing in the NFL, including Amari Cooper, Lavonte David, and Tutu Atwell. However, none of them left a more indelible mark on the school than Teddy Bridgewater, the quarterback whose name graces the football field where he had a dominant career in the second half of the 2000s before taking his talents to Louisville.
Bridgewater has played 11 seasons with seven NFL teams while primarily serving as a backup during a career that began when he won Rookie of the Year in 2014 and seemingly came to an end after he retired following the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
He announced his plans to return to his alma mater to serve as their head coach after hanging up his cleats, and he led the Bulls to a Class 3A championship while going 12-2 during his first year at the helm. His NFL comeback ended up being fairly short-lived, as he signed with the Lions after securing the title before heading back to Miami to coach for a second season.
However, things took a strange turn when Bridgewater was suspended before it got underway after revealing he was paying out of pocket to try to help out his players when he turned to the internet to try to drum up donations for the program.
He ended up signing with the Buccaneers after being barred from coaching, but his plight has led to the Florida lawmakers throwing their support behind a law inspired by what unfolded.
Florida seems poised to pass the Teddy Bridgewater Act, which would let high school coaches cover some expenses to aid their players
In August, Bridgewater revealed the “impermissible benefits” at the center of his suspension were the result of his decision to spend $30,000 of his own money to assist his players, many of whom hail from the “rough neighborhood” where Miami Northwestern is located.
He noted the school didn’t provide any money to cover the cost of travel, meals, uniforms, and even the paint used for the lines on the football field, and added he was spending $700 on Ubers every week so his guys wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught up in gang violence while walking back home.
That may not be allowed under current Florida law, but according to On3, that may not be the case for long.
Last year, legislators introduced Senate Bill 178, colloquially referred to as the “Teddy Bridgewater Act,” that would allow coaches from the elementary to high school level to fork over up to $15,000 of their own money each year to “support the welfare of a student by using personal funds.”
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously moved the bill forward in a 38-0 vote, and it looks like it’s on track to be passed by the House of Representatives before being signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Miami Northwestern still fared pretty well in Bridgewater’s absence, as they went 11-2 under interim head coach Jaquatin Victrum before losing to Raines in the state championship game. It’s currently unclear if Bridgewater plans to return to the school, but he won’t be their head coach next season after Jerome Thomas Jr. was promoted to the permanent role heading into 2026.