Northwestern's suspension of Bridgewater sparks outrage from state board of education
On Tuesday, Florida State Board of Education member Daniel Foganholi tweeted demanding Bridgewater's immediate reinstatement and wrote a letter with said message to Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Jose L. Dotres.
Bridgewater was recently suspended by Miami Northwestern High for allegedly violating Florida High School Athletic Association rules regarding impermissible benefits for his players.
Bridgewater had previously posted on his Facebook page he had paid for players' Uber rides.
A source told the Miami Herald this week that the suspension is for the duration of the upcoming high school football season, which begins next month.
'The decision to suspend him was shameful. Coach Bridgewater stepped up to care for his players in a way the system rarely does,' Foganholi wrote in the letter. 'He ordered them Ubers so they had a safe ride home after practice. I needed a coach to spot me lunch. I needed a role model like Teddy. We all do. We should be celebrating role models like him, not canceling them. Suspending him as a football coach is a failure of leadership.
'Reinstate Teddy now.'
Bridgewater confirmed the suspension via a post on his Facebook page on Sunday night.
'The suspension came from MNW and it's impossible to suspend someone who doesn't work for you,' Bridgewater wrote in the post. 'So if im suspended from MNW im free to go to another school of my choice but IM 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.'
More than a week ago, Bridgewater went on social media and asked fans to help him recover at least some of the money he has spent on his players, including $700 per week for Uber rides. According to original reporting by the Palm Beach Post, Bridgewater also spent $2,200 for pregame meals and $1,300 for athletic-recovery services.
Bridgewater led his alma mater to its first state title since 2019 and their ninth overall in his first season as coach last year. Northwestern had gone 4-6 the previous season and missed the playoffs.
Heading into this season, the Bulls are heavy favorites to repeat as champions and perhaps be ranked among the top teams in the nation with one of the nation's most talented rosters.
Bridgewater, who played 11 seasons in the NFL for seven different teams including the Dolphins as Tua Tagovailoa's backup, made a brief return to action this past January with the Detroit Lions as Jared Goff's backup. Bridgewater has made $65.2 million in his NFL career, according to OverTheCap.com.
South Florida high school football teams in South Florida are set to officially begin practices on July 28 and teams begin playing preseason games on Aug. 14. Northwestern's regular-season opener is scheduled for Aug. 23 at Traz Powell Stadium against Orange (California) Lutheran High at 7.
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