Former Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater Guides Miami Northwestern to State Title

Miami Northwestern’s Teddy Bridgewater raises the state trophy following the team’s win over Raines in the Class 3A championship on Dec. 14, 2024. / Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Less than a year after being named the head coach of Miami (Fla.) Northwestern High School, Teddy Bridgewater is already a state champion.

In just his first year at the helm of his alma mater, the former Louisville quarterback and Miami native was able guide the Bulls to a Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A championship on Saturday night. Facing previously undefeated Raines, Miami Northwestern delivered an emphatic 41-0 beatdown in the state title game.

Bridgewater inherited a Bulls program that had gone just 4-6 in 2023 under previous head coach Michalee Harris, who is also a Louisville alum. After starting the year at 2-2, Miami Northwestern then fired off a 10-game winning streak to finish the year at 12-2 overall. In their five Class 3A playoff games, they out-scored their opponents 262-12.

A former first round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings, Bridgewater spent 10 years in the NFL and played for seven different teams before retiring at the end of the 2023 season. He concluded his NFL career with 15,120 passing yards and 75 touchdowns to 47 interceptions, along with 844 rushing yards for 11 touchdowns.

Bridgewater is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the Louisville football program. In 39 career games with the Cardinals from 2011 to 2013, he completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 9,817 yards and 72 touchdowns to just 24 interceptions.

His career completion percentage is No. 1 in program history, while his career passing yards and touchdowns are both good for third. He also has the most wins as a starting quarterback in Louisville history with 27, and the most top-25 wins as a starting QB with five.

A four-star prospect in the Class of 2011, Bridgewater was inserted as the starter just a few games into his freshman campaign. By the end of the year, he had completed 64.5 percent of his throws for 2,129 yards and 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, helping Louisville go 7-6 with a berth in the Belk Bowl.

The Miami native broke out the next year as a sophomore, and helped architect one of the best seasons in Louisville history. He was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year during the 2012 season, throwing for 3,718 yards and 27 touchdowns to just eight picks against a 68.5 completion percentage. He guided Louisville to an 11-2 record that season, culminating in arguably the biggest win in school history – a 33-23 upset win over No. 3 Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

As a junior, Bridgewater established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and had one of the best passing seasons in program history. He completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns to only four interceptions, with his completion percentage and passing touchdown mark both program-bests in a single season. He also guided Louisville to a program-record 12-1 mark, including a 36-9 win over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

(Photo of Teddy Bridgewater: Chet Peterman – Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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