An interesting article on former Miami Northwestern quarterback, almost-Miami Hurricane and current Louisville star Teddy Bridgewater on ESPN.com today, penned by local writer Andrea Adelson, who grew up a Canes and knows the UM program well.
Bridgewater verbally committed to Miami during the 2010 season, but would decommitt that December, which many at the time blamed on the firing of then-head coach Randy Shannon.
Many felt Shannon and Bridgewater’s close relationship was keeping the local prospect home and with his decision to not attend UM — coupled with his recent rise at Louisville — fans felt a good one that didn’t need to get away, got away.
According to this recent piece, Bridgewater decided to decommitt before Shannon was actually fired.
In a word, friends and family didn’t want Bridgewater in the shadow of Jacory Harris, who he played behind at Northwestern and who he’d have followed at Miami. Harris took a beating from the UM fan base, and while that wasn’t mentioned in the piece, it’s an obvious sub-plot to the story.
Why draw unnecessary comparisons to a guy who failed, as opposed to starting fresh elsewhere and making a name for oneself?
The article is worth the read and while Miami fans forever felt Bridgewater was a casualty of coaching turnover, in reality it’s just a story about a local product who wanted a fresh start, as opposed to the pressure of living in a predecessor’s shadow and responsibility of helping the hometown team rise from the ashes.
I don’t blame and or fault Bridgewater and his immediate FAMILY one iota!
Chit, when Hurricane player(s), whom happen to be dedicated to Miami, receive DEATH THREATS and or UNWARRENTED NEGATIVE notes from ” loyal ” Cane bUbba’s. Wouldn’t U want your son to play somewhere else, too!
I mean, Teddy and his immediate family DON’T OWE the Hurricanes one thing!
By the way, in my MESSED-UP estimation. I’d say Miami, Florida Hurricane football probably has FOURTY PERCENT ( 40% ) of LOYAL, DEDICATED, SERIOUS fandom. In stark contrast, to most B.C.S. schools, which probably have 80% loyal, dedicated, serious, no-nonsense fanhood!
Now Cane bUbba. U’s do the math and connecting of the Orange nd’ Green dots. Eh. What say.
No one is blaming anyone.
There were a slew of fans pissing and moaning that Shannon’s firing cost UM Bridgewater / Rogers … and others who said ‘good riddance’ when Bridgewater went elsewhere, feeling he was just that – a Harris clone that would never succeed.
At least this article set the record straight – Bridgewater left to carve out his own path and the decision had nothing to do with Shannon.
And I’d say Theodore and IMMEDIATE family made the SAGACIOUS choice with Lousiville. dUh Especially with all the DRAMA and turmoil surrounding the Hurricane college football program, i.e, approaching sanctions, ABSENTEE a.d., past A.D.’s leaving Miami ASAP, past players jumping the U.S.S. Cane pronto and what not. See one Sir Arthur Brown and a host of other FIVE/FOUR-STAR players whom were on the Hurricane roster CIRCA 2009-2011.
And P-L-E-A-S-E don’t BLAME it all on the players whom left Miami, Florida. Because it ain’t that simple of a reason. In other words, too many mitigating and or unmitigating circumstances surrounding the reasons why these former 5/4 Star players left the program.
Bon soir
When he de-committed from UM and went to Louisville where Charlie Strong had just been hired I figured it was because he wanted to play for a black coach (I’m a black guy, I can say that lol). I do not blame him though…honestly, I rarely blame a coach/program when a recruit de-commits or decides to commit elsewhere, you never know what is truly going on in a kid’s mind. Bridgewater looks to be doing really well at UL so in the end his decision was a wise one.
im sure it has nothing to do with clint hurtt dropping off a duffel bag in front of his house.
love the store, go canes
… a Clint Hurtt cheap shot is always welcome here after the way things played out with him. Bring it, Josue.
So Teddy Bridgewater wanted to make a name for himself, and not be J-12.
Well, wouldn’t that be determined by ones play on the football field? The only way Teddy and Jacory would be one of the same is, if Teddy decided to throw as many interceptions as touchdowns. A QB will be judged usually by the person that came before you, no matter which school that you decide to attend.
The next QB at Florida is currently being judged as the “next” Tim Tebow, and so on.
The QB at Florida is nowhere near the talent or success that Tim had, while in Fla.
Teddy Bridgewater is following who in Louisville?? Can’t tell you that name, probably because it was literally a nobody. So, a good quarterback to take over at the Cardinals would not have a big name to replace. I think that that is the easy way out. You want to impress me, be the big man to bring The U back to prominence, not take the “easy” route.
Michael – I see both sides.
Playing behind Harris at MNW and following him to Miami … just seemed Bridgewater wanted a fresh start elsewhere, away from any more comparisons.
Honestly, how he would play is only part of it. To have his name and Harris mentioned in the same sentence non-stop for four years … I see how that’d get old.
Some guys want to embrace something like that. Others just want to get away from it all. No right or wrong. Simply a matter of preference.
Yeah, I guess 8 years being in someone else’s shadow may be a tough one. Like I said above, just make a name for yourself, which I suppose is what he is doing in Louisville.
I thought it was well known and established that Bridgewater left b/c of the negative comparisons people were making between him and Jacory. Some of the things people said about him were horrible and I’m pretty sure I read an article or two quoting his mother as saying she was shocked and awed at how horrible people were being to him. Some fans (not just ours but everyone’s) are so unbelievably dumb. They thought b/c he was a black QB from NW high school that he was going to be just like J12 (a J12 in his Jr. year nonetheless). Hopefully a lesson has been learned but I doubt it.