By Mark Pszonak
It isn’t often that a player openly discusses why he didn’t attend a specific school. But that was the situation recently during the @theOgsShow Podcast, hosted by Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, when former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater why he committed to Louisville over his local Miami Hurricanes.
Ex-Louisville Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater shares on the @theOGsShow why he didn’t end up staying home to play for the Miami Hurricanes.
Bridgewater threw for 3970 yards and 31 TDs for the Cardinals in 2013 pic.twitter.com/FYwfCkiflB
— Liam Willerup (@theleftyliam) February 8, 2025
Bridgewater, who played his high school football at Miami Northwestern, was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks from the Class of 2011. While many expected him to end up with the Canes, a coaching change at Miami led to his commitment decision.
“Miami fired Randy Shannon, and when they fired him I was like man, I’ll see who this new coach is coming in,” said Bridgewater. “I wasn’t even feeling the vibe of the new staff, and I always been a person who could feel your spirit. If the vibes a’int right, my spirit won’t fit here.”
It also helped Louisville’s situation that he was familiar with some of the Cardinals’ coaching staff.
More Sports News
“Charlie Strong was at Louisville, and big Clint Hurtt left Miami and went to Louisville, and we had a relationship from Corey Bell who had coached at Miami, and I didn’t even have an offer from Louisville. They didn’t think they could get me that’s why. I guess I was one of these top rank recruits. Charlie got me on a visit in December, and I committed and went to school in January. Just like that a two-week process and I was sold.”
The decision worked out for Bridgewater, who passed for 9,817 yards and 72 touchdowns in his three seasons as a starter at Louisville. He also led the Cardinals to a 23-3 record during his last two seasons, which included a 36-9 victory over Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl during his last collegiate game.
Bridgewater has bounced around the NFL since being drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. After briefly retiring he returned at the conclusion of the 2024 season with the Detroit Lions. Overall, he has passed for 15,120 yards and 75 touchdowns during his time in the league.
