Teddy Bridgewater retires from NFL, becomes coach
Former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who recently retired from the NFL, is starting the next chapter of his life.
Bridgewater is the new head football coach at Miami Northwestern, his high school alma mater, according to multiple reports.
Bridgewater was a four-star prospect and top-10 dual-threat quarterback at Miami Northwestern, where he graduated in 2011. After flipping his commitment from Miami to Louisville and coach Charlie Strong, Bridgewater helped usher in Louisville’s success in the 2010s after taking over as the starting quarterback four games into his freshman season.
Bridgewater was named the Big East Rookie of the Year after throwing for 2,195 yards and 14 touchdowns. That season, he led the Cards to the Belk Bowl against N.C. State.
As a sophomore, Bridgewater led Louisville to an 11-2 (5-2 Big East) record and a Sugar Bowl upset win over Florida in the final year of the BCS. In his final collegiate season, Bridgewater threw for a career-best 4,048 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading the Cards to a 36-9 win over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
Bridgewater decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and declared for the 2014 NFL Draft, where he was selected 32nd overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
He became the starter in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, a position he wouldn’t relinquish until a career-defining knee injury during training camp in 2016. He left the Vikings and played backup QB for the New Orleans Saints, became a starter with the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, and spent the last two seasons as a backup with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. Bridgewater’s last game was Sunday, when the Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.
Bridgewater’s role with Miami Northwestern is his first coaching job.
“It means a great deal. He’s a proud member of this community,” Miami Northwestern Senior High athletics director Andre Williams said, according to ESPN. “He’s a product of the environment, he knows the school, he knows the tradition.”
Reach sports reporter Brooks Warren at [email protected] and follow him on X at @Broookksss.
