Former University of Louisville signal caller Teddy Bridgewater is perfect for the National Football League. That’s not only the opinion of the Cardinal football faithful, that’s also the view of at least one former NFL quarterback.
Bridgewater is spending time at the IMG Academy in Florida in preparation for the upcoming professional football draft and trainer Chris Weinke, himself a former QB for the Carolina Panthers, called Teddy “a perfect fit” in an article on NFL.com. Weinke should know about evaluating quarterback talent. His biggest credential? The Heisman Trophy he won in 2000.
The biggest knock on Bridgewater from other draft experts is his weight. They claim that, at 205 pounds, he’s not heavy enough to take the rigors of hitting the the NFL. The academy plans to focus on adding some weight to his frame as well as strength conditioning to combat those perceptions.
What no one disagrees on is Bridgewater’s leadership ability or the statistics he can produce. After all, during his time at the helm of the Cardinal offensive attack, he threw for nearly 10,000 yards and 72 touchdowns. Not bad when you consider that he had to do that within the conservative rush-first philosophy of former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. During his college time, Bridgewater collected honors as Big East Rookie of the Year, Sugar Bowl MVP and Russell Athletic Bowl MVP.
During his final NCAA football campaign, several of the aforementioned experts predicted that Bridgewater would be the first player taken in the by the Houston Texans, who are in desperate need of a signature starting quarterback.
However a number of things have changed in that regard. One: Houston needs a whole bunch of help in other areas, too. Secondly, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel declared for the draft. Most of the draft watchers don’t consider Manziel superior to Bridgewater, but he has the advantage of playing in state so he’s been seen by the fans more.
To his credit, Bridgewater has stated that he doesn’t care where he plays. He just wants to play. And if Chris Weinke is correct, Teddy will be a star wherever he goes.
Photo: Tim Girton
