DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 16: Teddy Bridgewater #10 of the Detroit Lions runs off the field … More
Former NFL pro bowl quarterback-turned-high school football head coach Teddy Bridgewater revealed that he was suspended by his high school employer and alma mater Miami Northwestern this past weekend for providing his players “impermissible benefits.”
Bridgewater revealed the suspension last Sunday through a Facebook post where he further pledged allegiance to Miami Northwestern despite the mandated punishment from the program.
“The suspension came from MNW, and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you,” Bridgewater said in his weekend Facebook post. “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.”
Bridgewater’s reported suspension was linked to a previous Facebook post that the Miami native showcased early this month on July 7. The online document revealed that Bridgewater had been covering $700 per week Uber rides, $2,200 per week pre-game meals and $1,300 per week athletic recovery services for his players this past season.
Bridgewater pleaded for the program’s fanbase to donate and cover for expenses this upcoming season, so he wouldn’t once again have to cover the cost from his pocket.
The online post reportedly drew the ire of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) who had previously given other state high schools lengthy and expensive punishments for similar violations. Several players last fall from The First Academy in Orlando were investigated and found to have received “impermissible benefits” such as a free Uber ride.
FHSAA suspended First Academy’s head football coach Jeff Conaway, hit the private institution’s football program with a two-year postseason ban and fined the school $36,000 fine for its violations. It’s still unknown if Miami Northwestern will be given similar consequences alongside its self-imposed suspension of Bridgewater.
If the program is banned from postseason play, Miami Northwestern won’t be given the chance to defend its first football state title in school history. Last season, they steamrolled previously unbeaten Jacksonville Raines 41-0 to win the Florida Class 3A state title.
Led by Bridgewater, the team finished 2024 with a 12-2 record and outscored its playoff opponents 262-12 thanks to an average of 40 points per matchup and four postseason shutouts. After winning the title, the 10-year veteran was signed out of retirement by the Detroit Lions to serve as the team’s emergency backup quarterback for its 2025 NFL playoff run.