3x NFL All-Pro Shawne Merriman's HS coach defends Teddy Bridgewater amid suspension: "Real unfortunate"

NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was suspended from his coaching role at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, his alma mater. The suspension stemmed from Bridgewater spending thousands of his own money on the program, which many see as an act of generosity rather than a rule violation.

Bridgewater is receiving widespread backing, including from notable figures like three-time All Pro Bowler Shawne Merriman, who has publicly defended him multiple times on X (formerly called Twitter).

On Tuesday, Merriman took part in a video call with his former high school coach, J.C. Pinkney of Frederick Douglass High School in Maryland, who once did for Merriman what Bridgewater is doing for his players. About Bridgewater’s situation, Pinkney remarked:

"Real unfortunate, man. I'm not sure if there's some other stuff going on, but, on the surface, to me, it just looked like jealousy, looked like some animosity somehow."

Meanwhile, Merriman reflected on his own hardships of how his family was left homeless after a candle started a fire, their only light source when they couldn’t afford to pay electric bills. During those tough times, Coach Pinkney stepped in, much like Bridgewater has for his players.

"Many times, you had to pick me up for practice or make sure I had food," Merriman said. "And I don't know if you remember this or not, but it was one time I was losing weight. I was losing weight. I felt like those kids need a Teddy Bridgewater. Those kids need people like y'all."

Bridgewater wasn’t buying flashy gear to recruit athletes; instead, he was covering their basic needs, something worthy of praise, as Merriman put it:

"When you're young, broke and hungry, it's easy to get pulled the wrong way. Having someone like Teddy gives kids a reason to stay on the right path."

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What is the update on Teddy Bridgewater's return to Miami Northwestern?

After his suspension was confirmed, Teddy Bridgewater detailed spending over $100,000 of his own money to support players at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. That included $14,000 for a training camp, $1,500 a week on meals and $700 weekly to cover transportation.

Bridgewater said that these weren't obligations set by the school but rather his personal efforts to help the program. However, sources in the school district explained that the principal had little choice but to suspend Bridgewater to avoid hefty fines from the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and to prevent risking a one- or two-year playoff ban.

Bridgewater said that he isn’t finished with Miami Northwestern, but at this point, it’s uncertain what the school could do to bring him back.

In his first season coaching there, Teddy Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern Senior High School to a state championship, so it's a big blow for the school and the young players he was grooming.

Edited by Bhargav