‘Deeper than football': Northwestern rallies behind suspended coach, Teddy Bridgewater
But instead of reminiscing about prom king and queen, these alumni were protesting, demanding that the school reinstate their football coach. And Miami Northwestern Senior High School has no ordinary football coach.
'Teddy [Bridgewater] means so much to this community, and it's deeper than football,' one of the protest organizers, Northwestern alum Nay Akins told the Miami Herald. 'It's about our future and our kids, everyone loves and appreciates [Teddy]. He brings hope and inspiration.'
After retiring from the NFL in 2023, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned to his alma mater as head coach and transformed the program, helping bring the team the 2024 state championship. But in July 2025, the school suspended him for providing what the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) deemed 'impermissible benefits' to players.
According to Bridgewater's own social media posts, he spent well over $100,000 during the 2024 season on Uber rides, pregame meals, and athletic recovery services, in addition to covering training camp costs and other essentials. Those benefits were not routed through the school's established programs, per FHSAA rules. Bridgewater self-reported his expenditures.
According to the alumni, even after Bridgewater rejoined the NFL, coming out of retirement to sign with the Detroit Lions in December 2024, he also made sure to prioritize his hometown community.
'He's one of us,' Derrick Madry, a 1984 Northwestern alum.
'He could've gone anywhere in the world, but he chose to come back here,' Miami Northwestern Class of 1990 alum Felicia Pickard said. Pickard has three children, one of whom went to Miami Northwestern and graduated in 2021. 'The kids love him— they did phenomenal [when Teddy returned.]'
The outpouring of love from the Miami Northwestern alumni was palpable on 71st Street in Liberty City, Miami. Many donned 'Coach Teddy, We Ready' t-shirts in the school's colors, drivers passing by rolled down their windows, honking and blaring music. Towards the end of the demonstration, a mobile billboard truck flashing 'Bring Teddy Back' and 'Reinstate Bridgewater' rolled by.
But, according to Akins, Teddy's legacy at the school goes beyond football. Once he returned, more students worked towards college scholarships, the attendance rate for classes went up, and Miami Northwestern's graduation rate skyrocketed. He organized back-to-school and Christmas giveaways for students in need.
'A lot of people say [Teddy] left and came back, but truth be told, he never left,' Akins said. 'His heart and soul is here in the inner city.'
In the early 2000s, Miami Northwestern was defined a 'dropout factory' from John Hopkins University in a study on student retention from freshman to senior year. From 2004-2006, the study found that only 41% of the entering freshman class graduated from Miami Northwestern. Now, that number is over 90 percent, according to US News and World Report.
'We need more male figures like him,' Akins said. 'If Teddy continued to be with these kids, we'd have 100 more Teddy's. After that, generations of Teddy's. It would bring this community to where it needs to be.'
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Bucs' Teddy Bridgewater reflects on suspension from coaching Miami Northwestern: 'Those players became my sons'
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New York Times
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