'We Slept in the Basketball Gym': Before Suspension, Teddy Bridgewater Revealed He Spent $15,000 to Help Run the Miami High School Camp

Following his initial retirement from the NFL in 2023, the New Orleans Saints legend and journeyman quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, made headlines after coaching his local high school football team to a championship victory. Unfortunately, he’s now being suspended for providing what has been labeled as “impermissible benefits.”

Before the announcement of Bridgewater’s suspension, the former signal caller took to Facebook, where he shared a rundown of all the money that he poured into the program throughout the last year while also fielding donations for the upcoming season. 

“We sleep in the school’s basketball gym. Last year it cost me $14,000 to conduct the camp (4 nights) – 3 hot meals a day from local black owned restaurants. Last year, it cost me $9,500 to purchase pride sets for the players so they can look like a team. Also, last year it cost me $300 a week to keep the field painted with lines and numbers so our players can know how to line up and execute.”

The former Saint has claimed to have been shouldering the financial burden of providing an adequate experience for his team, and was now seeking help in doing so. “Help me carry the load so I no longer have to take from my personal funds to keep smiles on these young men face,” Bridgewater wrote. 

“Last year it also cost me $1300 a week to have recovery trucks come service the players the day before games… During the season, each week it costs me $2200 to feed the team pre-game meal… Each week I spend around $700 on uber fares.”

While Bridgewater maintains that all of these costs are simply to assure the kids “that they matter,” he made sure to leave a disclaimer noting that donations are not being requested by the school, and that they are purely elective. Given the way in which the conclusion of his post is structured, it’s likely that it was added at the behest of the school’s administration. 

“These are all things I choose to do on my own and are not requirements for the boys to have according to the rule makers and those who make the decisions at MNW.”

Nevertheless, regardless of how many or how few donations he receives, Bridgewater seems more than content to continue providing his players with a memorable experience. “The job will get done one way or another.”

At this point in time, his availability for the upcoming season seems to be in contention with the ongoing suspension. For those who do feel inclined to contribute to Bridgewater’s charitable foundation, further details can be found by researching the Be The Bridge Foundation. 

For those who have further questions about the legitimacy of the team’s finances, however, they will have to wait until the school’s administration has made a ruling and concluded any and all investigations.