MIAMI — Miami Northwestern football kicks off its regular season Saturday night in its first game without former head coach Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater, now back in the NFL as a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was suspended from the team after he admitted on social media that he helped his players pay for transportation.
Local 10 News was at the scene as fans started to fill into Traz Powell Stadium for Saturday night’s game, in a matchup that will certainly feel different for many of the players.
As the Class 3A state champion Miami Northwestern Bulls begin a new season, they’ll do so without the coach who led them to last year’s championship.
Bridgewater, who volunteered to coach at his alma mater, took the team to the state championship game just 10 months after he was hired. That December, he returned to the NFL to back up Jared Goff for the Detroit Lions.
This summer, Miami Northwestern suspended Bridgewater from returning as head coach after he posted on Facebook that he spent a lot of personal money on the team in 2024, including about $700 each week on Uber rides for players.
The Florida High School Athletic Association continues to investigate. It may be a moot point, as Bridgewater is now back in the NFL with the Buccaneers.
Bridgewater addressed the situation at a news conference earlier this month:
“When I decided to coach, those players became my sons, and I wanted to make sure I just protect them in the best way I can. I think that’s what came about,” he said. “Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood and sometimes things can happen when kids are walking home.”
For the Miami Northwestern Bulls, Bridgewater will likely be on their minds Saturday night as they return to action without him.
Miami Northwestern will take on Orange Lutheran, a team from California, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.