‘Deeper than football': Northwestern rallies behind suspended coach, Teddy Bridgewater
But instead of reminiscing about prom king and queen, these alumni were protesting, demanding that the school reinstate their football coach. And Miami Northwestern Senior High School has no ordinary football coach.
'Teddy [Bridgewater] means so much to this community, and it's deeper than football,' one of the protest organizers, Northwestern alum Nay Akins told the Miami Herald. 'It's about our future and our kids, everyone loves and appreciates [Teddy]. He brings hope and inspiration.'
After retiring from the NFL in 2023, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned to his alma mater as head coach and transformed the program, helping bring the team the 2024 state championship. But in July 2025, the school suspended him for providing what the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) deemed 'impermissible benefits' to players.
According to Bridgewater's own social media posts, he spent well over $100,000 during the 2024 season on Uber rides, pregame meals, and athletic recovery services, in addition to covering training camp costs and other essentials. Those benefits were not routed through the school's established programs, per FHSAA rules. Bridgewater self-reported his expenditures.
According to the alumni, even after Bridgewater rejoined the NFL, coming out of retirement to sign with the Detroit Lions in December 2024, he also made sure to prioritize his hometown community.
'He's one of us,' Derrick Madry, a 1984 Northwestern alum.
'He could've gone anywhere in the world, but he chose to come back here,' Miami Northwestern Class of 1990 alum Felicia Pickard said. Pickard has three children, one of whom went to Miami Northwestern and graduated in 2021. 'The kids love him— they did phenomenal [when Teddy returned.]'
The outpouring of love from the Miami Northwestern alumni was palpable on 71st Street in Liberty City, Miami. Many donned 'Coach Teddy, We Ready' t-shirts in the school's colors, drivers passing by rolled down their windows, honking and blaring music. Towards the end of the demonstration, a mobile billboard truck flashing 'Bring Teddy Back' and 'Reinstate Bridgewater' rolled by.
But, according to Akins, Teddy's legacy at the school goes beyond football. Once he returned, more students worked towards college scholarships, the attendance rate for classes went up, and Miami Northwestern's graduation rate skyrocketed. He organized back-to-school and Christmas giveaways for students in need.
'A lot of people say [Teddy] left and came back, but truth be told, he never left,' Akins said. 'His heart and soul is here in the inner city.'
In the early 2000s, Miami Northwestern was defined a 'dropout factory' from John Hopkins University in a study on student retention from freshman to senior year. From 2004-2006, the study found that only 41% of the entering freshman class graduated from Miami Northwestern. Now, that number is over 90 percent, according to US News and World Report.
'We need more male figures like him,' Akins said. 'If Teddy continued to be with these kids, we'd have 100 more Teddy's. After that, generations of Teddy's. It would bring this community to where it needs to be.'
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USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Updated Big Ten Class of 2026 football rankings
Where does Penn State rank in the Big Ten and nationally in updated Class of 2026 football recruiting rankings? The start of a new college football season is just weeks away, and the recruiting game is about to heat up with new revenue-sharing opportunities officially allowed for the Class of 2026. Things are about to change in a big way for the recruiting game, but some familiar names are still sitting atop the Big Ten recruiting rankings for the time being. Penn State is still sitting pretty among the top Big Ten schools in the most recent recruiting rankings, but they do sit behind some of the other top programs in the conference. USC has taken command in this recruiting cycle with a terrific class being assembled on the West Coast. Can the Trojans cross the finish line with the best recruiting class in the Big Ten after a disappointing debut season in their new conference home? 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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Bears legend Walter Payton — ‘Sweetness' — inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Eater
3 days ago
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Burrito Beach Marks 30 Years With Limited Edition Burritos From a Power-Packed Chef Lineup
is the James Beard Award-winning regional editor for Eater's Midwest region, and in charge of coverage in Chicago, Detroit, and the Twin Cities. He's a native Chicagoan and has been with Eater since 2014. Homegrown restaurant chains don't often last three decades in Chicago, but that's the milestone Burrito Beach will celebrate this summer. The quick-service chain — with seven locations in places like Lincoln Park and inside Northwestern Memorial Hospital's food court — has endured, giving Chicagoans options that cover a variety of dietary needs. Over those 30 years, Burrito Beach CEO and founder Greg Schulson has seen Chicago's understanding of Mexican food grow as he witnessed the rise of local chefs who proved to Midwesterners that there was more to Mexican food than just burritos and tacos. Burrito Beach's first location opened in 1995 at Lake and Dearborn, and it started as an assembly-line wrap concept. 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Proceeds will benefit a charity of the chefs' choice, and the promotions go from August through January. Burrito Beach's recipes come from David Schy, a former corporate chef with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises who worked under legendary chef Jean Banchet as a cook at Le Francais in suburban Wheeling. He's come up with ideas like a current special, a fried fish taco inspired by a Chicago dog. Somedays they'll offer barbecue beef or Buffalo chicken. Schulson, a native of suburban Glencoe, is a past chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association. He's aware of dining trends and news. He indirectly mentions a 2017 story out of Portland, Oregon, when a pair of white women closed their burrito shop after they bragged about stealing recipes from Mexican women. The story drew cries of cultural appropriation, and that's something Schulson is sensitive toward. 'We're not pretending to be something we're not,' Schulson says, noting items like a Buffalo chicken bowl are far from traditional. 'I grew up loving Mexican food… I could eat this food every day. I'm not Mexican, but it doesn't mean I don't love the food, it doesn't mean I don't care about doing it right.' Chef Paul Kahan's spicy steak burrito with marinated sirloin steak, Guajillo chile sauce, white rice, black beans, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, and whole cilantro. Burrito Beach/Kristen Mendiola Media Thattu chef Margaret Pak's burrito with masala Kashmiri chile char-grilled chicken, tamarind-date chutney, garlic confit raita, white rice, cilantro slaw, and pickled red onions. Chef Beverly Kim's bibimbap steak burrito with thin-sliced bulgogi, kimchi fried rice, chipotle-gochujang, marinated cabbage, and pickled red onions. Burrito Beach/Kristen Mendiola Media Burrito Beach 30th Anniversary Celebrity Chef Burritos Starting in August, Burrito Beach will celebrate 30 years with special limited-time-only burritos from Paul Kahan, Margaret Pak, and Beverly Kim. For Kahan, the One Off Hospitality co-founder, it represents a return as he was a part of a collaboration back in 1993. Pak, chef and owner at Thattu in Avondale, will follow. Pak's connection comes through her love of Ketch On Fire, a spicy ketchup brand in which Greg Schulson and chef David Schy are partners. Pak's first food job was with the brand, and it grew out of passion; she caught the company's attention after maintaining an unauthorized fan page. Parachute HiFi's Beverly Kim rounds out the chef lineup. Kim lacks a direct connection to the brand, but Schulson and company have long been fans of Kim's Michelin-starred Korean American food. See details of the three burritos below. Proceeds will benefit a charity of the chef's choice Paul Kahan's spicy steak burrito, available from Monday, August 4, through the end of September. Margaret Pak's masala chicken burrito, available from October through November. Beverly Kim's bibimbap steak burrito, available from December through January.
