FHSAA executive director Craig Damon says limited power and turnover at Northwestern has made it difficult to get the facts.
Trying to determine exactly what to do about alleged impermissible benefits with Miami Northwestern’s football program has proven “very complicated” for the Florida High School Athletic Association.
“We’re still working with the (Miami-Dade Public County Schools) district to try to get some clarity on some things before making a decision on which way we’re going,” Craig Damon, executive director of the FHSAA, told the USA TODAY Florida Network. “We want to do something here in the next week or so.
“Just trying to get information. I think we’re pretty close, just based on what we can prove and what they can figure out, coming up with a consensus of the situation.”
Former Miami Northwestern coach Teddy Bridgewater, who recently returned to the NFL, posted on Facebook on July 7 that he spent a lot of personal money on the team in 2024.
The line that caught the most attention was Bridgewater saying he spent $700 a week on Uber rides. A week later, Bridgewater posted that he’d been suspended by the school.
Damon stressed the importance of making the right decision in light of the facts. What’s proven difficult for the FHSAA, which does not have subpoena power, is determining which player(s) got the Uber rides.
Not only is Bridgewater, who was a volunteer, no longer at the school to answer questions, but Northwestern also has a new principal this year.
"We have very limited power when it comes down to trying to get information," Damon said. "It’s difficult, especially in a situation like this, to try to figure out what took place."
“It almost feels like we’re chasing our tails a little bit here.”
In other situations, such as The First Academy, the FHSAA had the name of the student-athlete who received the Uber ride and the coach who provided the ride was suspended for six weeks.
"At the end of the day, our goal is to examine the facts, determine if a violation occurred and take appropriate actions,” Damon said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FHSAA: Teddy Bridgewater final decision on suspension coming soon
Category: General Sports
