Bridgewater posing with Florida 3A State Championship trophy (Photo used with permission by Instagram)

In 2014, Teddy ‘’Two Gloves’’ Bridgewater was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 32nd pick in the first round of the draft. He looked very promising coming out of Louisville after leading his team to and winning the 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl. In this game, Bridgewater threw for 266 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. The Vikings saw this game and knew they had their guy. The Vikings were coming off a 5-10-1 season with three different starting quarterbacks. They were confident this draft pick would mark a turning point for their franchise in the 2010s.

In the third week of the 2014 NFL season, Bridgewater made his first NFL appearance due to an injured Matt Cassel. Although they lost, he showed leadership and the ability to step into a role when needed. After this game he stepped into the starting role but only provided the team with six more wins on the season, leaving them with a record of 7-9. However, the Vikings were still hopeful their draft pick would pan out how they wanted. Bridgewater started the season looking great bringing the team to a 5-2 record, but this is when his career was altered indefinitely. Against the St. Louis Rams in week nine, Bridgewater attempted to slide to protect himself but the Rams Lamarcus Joyner drove his shoulder into Bridgewaters head, leaving him concussed and unconscious. Thankfully, he was healthy enough to play the next week and concluded the season by giving the Vikings a home Wild Card game that they lost in saddening fashion. The following offseason, Bridgewater was at a routine practice, where he dislocated his knee and tore his ACL. This event left him sidelined for the entirety of the upcoming 2016 season. 

When the offseason of the 2016 season rolled around, the Vikings front office felt they needed a fresh start. This forced Bridgewater to find a job elsewhere. He started in New Orleans where he stayed for two seasons, then Carolina, Denver, Miami and Detroit. After his multi-year stint of being bounced around the NFL, he decided to call it quits to focus on something else. Bridgewater’s Alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, needed a new football head coach. Bridgewater fell short of winning a state title as a player, so he elected to give it another shot and attempt to win one as a coach. In his first and only year as a head coach, Bridgewater’s team went 12-2 and destroyed their opponent in the state championship to claim the 3A Division Championship. After this season, the Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reconnected with Bridgewater to see if he would like another job back in the Motor City. Bridgewater took the offer even though he would solely be used as a backup. Surprisingly, in the Lions playoff game this season they put him in for a few plays where he threw one completion and handed the ball off a couple of times. 

Bridgewater’s story shows how no matter the circumstances, hard work and resilience can pay off. Even though he faced many roadblocks throughout his career, he was able to work around them and plant his legacy as one of the most inspiring stories in the history of the game.