FHSAA clears Miami Northwestern football team of allegation regarding fifth-year player

The Miami Northwestern Bulls' football team can make its run to the Class 3A state championship game clear of any wrongdoing.

According to Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Administrator of Public Relations' Kelvin Richardson, the Bulls have been cleared of the allegation that the school had played a fifth-year football player.

This now paves the way for Teddy Bridgewater and the Bulls to make a potential homecoming of sorts next week in Miami at Pitbull Stadium, if they can get by Eau Gallie in this week's state semifinal on the road.

Per the FHSAA, the student-athlete was in 8th grade during the 2020-2021 school year based on the transcripts provided by Miami Northwestern. The school also provided attendance records showing that the student did not enter the 9th grade during the 2020-2021 school year.

FHSAA reviewing allegations against Teddy Bridgewater's Miami Northwestern: Report

Per an initial report by the USA Today Network, obtaining of a transcript of the unnamed player, who had enrolled in the fall of 2020 and this fall semester would be his ninth semester, which would have made the student-athlete ineligible per FHSAA Bylaw 9.5.1.

Now with the Bulls (10-2) having the allegation put to rest, the program can fully focus on trying to notch an eigth state championship, something Miami Northwestern hasn't done since 2019. Bridgewater's team has coasted through the first three rounds, winning by a combined score of 181-12.

It's been a trying year for high school football down in South Florida, including for first-year Bridgewater at the helm. The former NFL'er sounded off on social media on the state of the game via his own social media, even hinting at a possible NFL return. Down below is the transcript of Bridgewater's social media post.

“I didn’t walk away from millions to be associated with this high school drama,” said Bridgewater. “I did it to better the future of the sport in south Florida… I’ve been to the highest level and this level is peanuts to an elephant when you’ve reached the top. So you don’t get caught up in the small stuff when you’ve seen the top. However, this is the highest level for many so that’s why you have the telling and ‘whatever it takes to win’ mentality going on. But that’s the problem, not many people have won at the life God has given them so they live through the kids and make it about them and not their kids. Now we have grown men telling on KIDS!! Jeopardizing their future and their team’s future. As a man, what do you get out of that?? I pray MNW stays in the clear from all that’s going on because like I tell my coaches, I played 10 years in the league and never made any headlines and I’ll be damned if I let MNW have me caught up in some mess. I know it’s people waiting on the day it happens.”

Teddy Bridgewater unloads on the state of high school football

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

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