Author and ad guy Mark St. Amant Goes “Man-to-Man” with top NFL draft pick and devoted son, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
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“This post is in partnership with Cadillac”
On the surface, the story isn’t all that unusual: Young, African-American man from embattled, crime-ridden, inner-city neighborhood shows elite athletic ability. Uses said athletic ability to escape embattled neighborhood to a better life—in college and then, ideally, the pros—where he’s rewarded with money and fame. Young man buys something—a house, a car, or several of each—to reward those who helped him along the way. It’s the trademark “Urban Sports Success Story” we’ve seen and heard a gazillion times in movies, on TV, in newspapers, and online.
Wash the grass-, blood-, and sweat-stained uniform. Rinse. Repeat.
But what makes Teddy Bridgewater’s story unique despite, admittedly, containing all of the above—the “embattled neighborhood” being Miami’s Brownsville and adjacent Liberty City, and that “athletic ability” being throwing a football extremely well—is that (A) he knew his NFL career would happen ever since the tender age of 9, and (B) he knew exactly what he was going to buy the one person who’d supported him, sacrificed for him, and made it all possible: his best friend, hero, single mom, and breast cancer survivor…his mother, Rose Murphy.
Yes, in third grade, Teddy promised his mother that he would buy her a Cadillac Escalade. A pink Cadillac Escalade. With pink rims. His dream was that specific. It had to be a Cadillac. An Escalade. And it had to be pink. This was non-negotiable because, well, that was his promise, and like everything else in his life, once Teddy Bridgewater decides to go after it, he goes after it.
Which is why now – today, Tuesday May 6th, as a 22-year-old on the precipice of finally achieving those NFL dreams at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall this coming Thursday, when he’ll be drafted by some lucky team, hopefully in the first round—Teddy can safely say he was able to make good on that pink Escalade thing. Because he did, just yesterday, as he and Rose explained on “Good Morning America” this morning. It was a surprise to end all surprises, a thirteen-year-old promise finally, happily kept thanks to his own dogged pursuit of a pro football career and a lot of help from Cadillac.
In fact, on the day I interviewed Bridgewater in Miami, he was also meeting with some folks from Cadillac—now happily playing the role of co-conspirator in what had quickly become the “Rose Murphy New Escalade Double-Secret Covert No-One-Better-Breathe-a-Damn-Word-of-This-and-Blow-the-Surprise” project—who’d flown to Miami from Detroit specifically to show Teddy some paint swatches so he could choose the exact shade of pink for his mom’s new SUV. (Side note: As an advertising agency owner myself, I always love when agencies and brands are smart enough to recognize a “buzz-worthy” PR opportunity yet self-aware enough to stay mostly out of the way and let the story itself, and the compelling characters therein, be the real stars…and do so with an earnest desire to simply make one of their customers/brand loyalists happy. Refreshing.)
Anyway, if you spend even 25 minutes sitting across from Bridgewater—the exact amount of time I spent with him on a humid Miami day a couple of weeks ago, peppering him with questions in the courtyard of his former high school, Northwestern—you realize pretty quickly that, like his story and like his choice of car colors, Teddy’s pretty unique. Unique enough to be the subject of a pre-draft documentary that Spike Lee was filming not ten feet from where I was interviewing Teddy; and certainly unique enough for someone infinitely less famous than Spike Lee—yours truly—to fly 2,059 miles from Denver to Miami on basically zero notice, and even less sleep, for this Q&A you’re about to read. Sure, I could have done it over the phone or via Skype. But selfishly, based on what I’d initially learned about him, I really wanted to meet this kid in person.
Now, I’ve met/worked with pro athletes in my 20+ years in advertising. Most, I’m lucky to say, have been great. Shaun Alexander, Maurice Jones-Drew, Drew Bledsoe, Greg Jennings, and Gary Payton come to mind. (#NameDropper!) And there have been some stereotypical self-involved jerks who shall remain nameless. But even before I met Teddy—a 6’2”, 215-ish-pound 22-year-old sporting a calm, friendly demeanor; a steady, graceful “athlete’s gait”; and a quick, genuine smile—a mere handful of things I’d read about him instantly endeared him to me, just as they probably had to his prospective bosses, i.e. NFL general managers and head coaches.
Like when, after winning the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2011 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2012, and starting to be mentioned with—hell, ahead of—the Johnny Manziels, Jameis Winstons, Jordan Lynches, Tre Masons, and AJ McCarrons of the NCAA football world in the 2013 Heisman watch, he asked that his school, the University of Louisville, refrain from launching an embarrassing “Bridgewater for Heisman” campaign. Why? Because it went against his staunch belief in team success over personal glory.
Next, he’s always been a student first and an athlete second—a sentiment I heard Teddy’s Northwestern principal, Wallace Aristide, repeat on camera to Spike Lee while I whispered my questions to Teddy—graduating Louisville in three years with a degree in Sports Administration while, oh yeah, simultaneously fitting in and balancing the outrageous demands of a Heisman Trophy-caliber football career.
But most of all, finally, when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2005, when Teddy was 14 and just bursting onto the local Pop Warner football scene, his first instinct was to drop out of school, quit football, take care of her, and start working odd jobs to put food on the table. “I wanted to be the man of the house,” Bridgewater told The New York Times in a September 2012 article. “It was just me and my mom. There was no male figure. I wanted to be the provider. I wanted to take care of her. I was mowing lawns for $30, trying to make any piece of change I could.” How many 14-year-olds have that kind of purpose and conviction? When I was 14 I was worried about two things: whether or not I’d make freshman soccer, and whether or not my then-quasi-girlfriend, Lisa, was going to break up with me because, let’s face it, she was far too hot for me and the writing was on the wall. I was playing way above the rim. But I digress…
Thankfully, Rose didn’t let Teddy drop out of school, as you’ll soon learn below. Despite her diagnosis, she also kept her job as a transportation supervisor for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, proving herself yet again to be a role model for Teddy and further inspiring the Bridgewater family work ethic that clearly continues, if his efforts both on and off the field are any indication. And as he blossomed as a blue-chip high school QB, Rose and Teddy sifted through mountains of recruiting letters. All the football powerhouses were circling. But it was a foregone conclusion that he’d attend the University of Miami, right in his backyard. Bridgewater was close with then-head-coach Randy Shannon, and officially committed to “The U”…until Shannon was fired in November of 2010, making Teddy change his mind and commit to Louisville, where he felt he could earn a starting job more quickly. But it meant doing something he’d never considered before: leaving his mom. Rose, however, was adamant that he get away and make a name for himself outside the shadow of Miami, and encouraged him from afar early on when Louisville coach Charlie Strong chose the more experienced walk-on Will Stein as his starter. If she could fight cancer, he could fight through this adversity. And he did.
Now, 13 years and umpteen touchdown passes and accolades after that 9-year-old’s promise, on the day of our interview, Teddy was arguably the top quarterback available in the May 8th NFL draft (mainly battling Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr). In January of 2013, he led #22-ranked Louisville to a stunning 33-23 upset of the #4 Florida Gators in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. And not even a full year later, in the December 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, he outright wrecked a fitting opponent—his hometown Miami Hurricanes—completing 35 of 42 passes for 447 yards, three passing touchdowns, and one rushing score, leading the Cardinals to a decisive 36-9 win and taking home MVP honors.
Still, despite the proven leadership and success, his exact draft position Thursday night is uncertain, much like his own childhood—which he has called “unstable” and “rough.” As recently as this past February he was a lock for the Houston Texans at #1 overall. Or, if Houston took all-world defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and the St. Louis Rams took DE Khalil Mack at #2, at the very least Teddy would head to the QB-starved Jacksonville Jaguars at #3. But fast forward to late April when, thanks in part to an underwhelming pro day marred by a semi-controversy over his wearing/not wearing a glove while throwing—pro days are when the NCAA allows NFL scouts to visit schools and evaluate players participating in NFL scouting combine-level events—many experts were now nitpicking his “slight frame” and “small hands” and predicted he’d go to the Texans…in the second round. So heading into Thursday’s draft, a lot riding on the prognostications and mock drafts of total strangers like NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock—who, back in February, called Bridgewater “the most ready-to-play NFL-style quarterback in this draft,” yet changed his tune come April, describing Teddy’s pro-day workout as “average at best” and predicting he’d slip to the early second round. (Granted, Mayock is the same guy who ranked Blaine Gabbert over Cam Newton, so let’s take his opinion with a Gibraltar-sized grain of salt.)
But Bridgewater’s attributes seem to outweigh his detractions. By all accounts his film study and obsession with breaking down opposing defenses and finding their exploitable weaknesses are downright Peyton Manning-esque. His poise and maturity under pressure, in a complex offense, has been rated top notch. According to ESPN’s Jon Gruden, on the network’s popular “Gruden QB Camp” segment, Teddy’s “football IQ is his strength. He can recognize and communicate a lot of different styles of offense. It’s very impressive. He oversaw a sophisticated running game at Louisville, and he recognizes all the concepts and terminology that [West Coast offense creator and Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh] used, so I’m really impressed with that.” Moreover, his impressive 71 percent completion rate in 2013, achieved in a “pro-style” West Coast offense—versus a spread offense, such as Manziel’s Texas A&M and Carr’s Fresno State, which inflates a QB’s completion rate via quick-hit, low-risk “bubble screens”—speaks to his sheer accuracy, as does his mere four interceptions in 427 attempts during his final season (for 3,970 yards and 31 touchdowns).
Okay, that’s some major football nerd talk—sorry, can’t help it. But while the pundits continued to debate his value on the field, I took a few minutes of his time (that Spike Lee graciously allowed me to steal away from his documentary) in the familiar surroundings of his former high school to talk to Teddy Bridgewater mostly about off-field stuff: his mother, her battle with breast cancer, his childhood, his early experiences as a famous college quarterback, and, of course, that now-legendary promise from a wide-eyed but deadly-serious 9-year-old to his single mom that, despite all the uncertainty in their lives, this much was clear: When—not if, but when—he made it to the NFL, he’d buy her that shiny, pink Cadillac Escalade. Rose Murphy has battled and—for now, knock wood—won: She’s been cancer free since 2008. So we can only assume, hope, and pray that both mother and son have very bright futures ahead of them, starting Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell strides to the podium and announces, “With the ____ pick in the 2014 NFL draft, the _____ select Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, University of Louisville.”
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Mark St. Amant: Were you aware of the sacrifices your mom made, and the struggles she was having raising you and your three siblings on her own? And why did you, at just 9 years old, promise her that you’d buy her a Cadillac when you made it to the NFL?
Teddy Bridgewater: I was aware of it, of our situation—aware that she’d made so many sacrifices for me and my entire family. My childhood was pretty rough. There wasn’t a lot of stability. We moved around a lot. At one point we lived in a car, in someone’s driveway. At the time, the Cadillac truck was popular. I saw it in all the music videos when I was growing up, so it just stood out to me. The Escalade was my favorite car at the time, and it matched my mom’s personality. It’s coincidence that pink is now the color representing the battle against breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with five or six years later. So I wanted to keep that promise and get her that big pink Escalade with the pink rims and see that big smile on her face.
MS: Most 9-year-olds are too busy jumping through sprinklers or playing pickup hoops to be aware of what their parents are going through. Do you think you had a sharper sense of awareness at a young age.
TB: Yeah, I’ve always been aware of my mom’s situation. And I’ve always been a guy that sits back, observes everything, processes everything, and then comes up with a plan…and it just so happened that I had this vision when I was 9 years old.
MS: Good. 360-degree vision sure comes in handy when J.J. Watt or Robert Mathis is rushing your blind side. Who, besides your mom, are your heroes?
TB: I’ve always looked up to the NFL quarterbacks because that’s who I’ve always wanted to be. Steve Young, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady… I’ve always admired how they carry themselves both on and off the field, and I just hope that I can make it to their level, and have their status someday.
MS: How did your mom support you as you started blossoming as an athlete?
TB: The biggest thing that jumped out to me was, my last year playing Pop Warner football, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, going through chemotherapy, her fingernails turning black, her hair falling out, her legs too weak to walk, and she would still get up every morning and go to work and still attend my football games. That meant the world to me. Knowing that she could have just been home, crying, asking, ‘Why me, God?’ But instead she’d be out there supporting me, her youngest child; watching my games in the hot sun. Never missed a game.
MS: And she was the one who kept you in school when you wanted to drop out, right?
TB: Yeah, when she told us she was sick, when I was 14, I realized I was the man of the house now. So I decided to drop out of school and get whatever jobs I could—mowing lawns, washing cars, anything to get us a little extra change. After about a month, the school started sending letters to the house, about how much school I’d missed, and she told me that school was the best thing for me. I was ready to give up school and sports just to take care of her because I believed that that was my purpose in life. But she said, ‘God’s blessed you with these talents. Use them to the best of your ability.’
MS: About your mom telling you she had cancer. That very moment. I’ve had family and friends with cancer. Sadly, I doubt there’s anyone out there these days who doesn’t know someone with, or who had, cancer. And when I first hear they’re sick, my first thought, being honest, is always, ‘Why is it always the GOOD people?’ What was your gut reaction when your mom first told you?
TB: First thing I thought—and you hate to think that way, but it’s true—I thought about death. I’m a young teenager, and you hear the stories about how deadly cancer can be, so that’s the first thing that went through my mind: that my mom’s gonna die, and I’m never going to see her, or talk to her, or hug her again. Once I found out what it was and learned more about breast cancer, and how you can fight it and treat it, it eased the pain a little bit. But hearing the news was a shocker. And I was the one who started questioning God—‘Why her?’—rather than her asking. That showed me how strong and selfless she is.
MS: I played Division III soccer and even that could be a grind. So I can’t imagine how a guy playing D-I college football can handle the academic workload and the football demands. How did you balance it all?
TB: Everything I do in life, I refer back to my mom. And I always say, if she can still work and be battling breast cancer, then I can handle football and school. And then she just raised me that way: School always came first. So if I didn’t do my homework, or if I even came home with a C on my report card, I couldn’t play video games, or football, or go out and play with my friends. She sent that message early, and I got that message early.
MS: What would the 22-year-old Teddy Bridgewater tell the 9-year-old Teddy Bridgewater?
TB: Basically, ‘It gets greater later. Things may not be going so good right now, but the payoff is much better than the suffering you’re going through right now. You’re stronger than you know, and you’re surrounded by people who are strong, and love you. Hang in there.’
MS: Speaking of suffering, in the past few months, you’ve been told your hands are too small, your frame is too slight, your arm isn’t strong or accurate enough. Slight frame? Did you see Tom Brady when he came out of Michigan? Dude looked like Bieber. And JaMarcus Russell could throw 65 yards from his knees in practice but come game time couldn’t waddle out of the pocket and complete a pass to an actual human wide receiver. So, to me, it’s as much about intangibles as Indy combine scores. How do you handle all the pre-draft criticism?
TB: It’s simple: thick skin. Gotta have thick skin. I’m someone who doesn’t read what they put out there. I can’t control that. That’s their job to talk and make assumptions and do mock drafts, and I get that. But if I listened to everything that people say, yeah, maybe I’d start doubting myself. My purpose is to play football. And football makes me happy. I’ll just be happy to have the opportunity to continue playing football at a higher level. I couldn’t care less if I’m the first guy picked, or the last. I just want to continue to do what makes me happy. And I’ll block it all out and trust what the decision-makers—the coaches and GMs—are telling me on my visits.
MS: Being a Patriots fan, I’m going to spread a rumor that you showed up to this interview like 100 pounds overweight, with a couple bear claws in one hand and a 64 oz. Big Gulp Mountain Dew in the other, chain-smoking Luckys. That way, you might slip to the Pats at #29 and we’ll have our heir to Brady and another franchise QB for the next 15 years. Cool? Is that selfish of me?
TB: (Blank stare)
MS: Speaking of junk, what’s your one dietary vice that your trainers and coaches would hate to hear about?
TB: I don’t really have one. I’m not a big junk food guy. If anything, I’d say it’s too much hibachi fried rice – with grilled shrimp, chicken, steak – but that’s about it.
MS: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever gotten?
TB: Best: Blessings are delayed but never denied. That’s something my mom told me, and it’s stuck with me. It’s true. Things may not happen when you want them to, but if you work hard enough and believe in yourself, good things will happen. The worst advice: Someone once telling me to play wide receiver. My calling was quarterback. (NOTE: Here Teddy looks over at his former high school coach, who’s sitting at our table, and laughs, a reminder that the coach once suggested that he play wide receiver).
MS: Okay, the glove. Not since Michael Jackson has a single glove been such a hot topic. And according to some, it affected your pro-day performance. Is this a legit worry for teams, or just media filler to pass the time because the draft is two weeks later this year?
TB: I can’t even really answer that, but I guess it’s a big deal right now. Me, I’m wearing my gloves. I guess it was a big deal because I didn’t wear them at the pro day, but I’ve had success wearing my gloves and will continue to wear my gloves. It’s just funny, though. Like you said, it’s an extra two weeks before the draft this year so I guess people need stories, things to put out there. But I know what I’m capable of doing, and if you put my game tape on you see that I’ve had success wearing them, so I’ll keep wearing them.
MS: You’ve played hurt. Sprained ankle here, fractured wrist there. Par for the course for a high-level QB, I suppose. But has what your mom’s gone through made you redefine the notion of ‘pain’?
TB: Oh yeah. Playing hurt is nothing. There’s always someone out there who’s struggling way worse than I am. That’s how I look at every situation. No pain is too much for me; no low is too low for me. Whenever I step on that field, and if I get hurt or banged up, nothing bothers me because I know that what my mom went through—chemo and battling cancer. Nothing compares to that.
MS: Okay, we all know you and Cadillac are going to get that pink Escalade for your mom. What’s the second thing you’re going to buy?
TB: It’s funny, I really haven’t thought of anything yet. I’ve actually been trying to come up with something to get myself over the last two weeks or so. But I’m a pretty simple guy. It’s just crazy how you hear about guys buying houses and cars and things. And that’s fine. But me? I could sleep in a car, or a motel or cheap hotel, for years. I don’t care. I just wanna play football.
MS: What did your older brothers and sisters teach you, and what do they think of your success?
TB: They taught me toughness. My older brother and sisters would beat up on me, tease me, but it taught me to stand up for myself. My older brother—he’s eight years older than I am—was in high school when I was in elementary school, but he made me a tougher guy. And I think I bring a lot of joy to their lives because when they see me in a game, or having success on the field, they see the name ‘Bridgewater’ and it gives them a lot of pride; they can hold their heads up high. And it’s nice for me to know that I’m—hopefully—making a positive impact on their lives.
MS: Unionizing college athletics: Pro or con? Do you agree with UConn point guard Shabazz Napier that scholarship players should be paid more so they don’t go to bed hungry?
TB: I’ve always been a huge fan of college sports because of the passion. Your passion shows on the football field or basketball court or wherever else. So as far as being paid, I worry that if you started paying college athletes that passion would go away. Because it would become a job, basically. But on the other hand—being a former college athlete—I do understand what [Napier’s] saying…that there are nights you go to bed hungry, and some guys on the team had Pell grants and some guys didn’t. So I guess if I had to vote, I’d be for it. It might provide more opportunities for guys’ families to attend games, too. So I think a little bit of cash wouldn’t hurt.
MS: If you have kids someday, what lessons do you hope to pass down to them?
TB: Always have faith. No matter what you’re doing or how hard it is, always have faith. And remain humble. Humility can take you a long way. People will ultimately respect you more if you’re a humble guy.
MS: Finally, what, in your mind, defines a “good man”?
TB: For one, just a servant. Someone who’s honorable, who’s earned the respect of those around him, and who wants to make everyone around him a better person, without asking for anything in return. Basically, a Good Samaritan.
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Good luck Thursday night, Teddy. Safe to say you have one guy in Boulder, CO—and likely many more people who didn’t know you before reading this—who’ll be rooting for you to go nice and early in the draft, followed by a 15-year Hall of Fame career. And thanks, also, to Cadillac for being the kind of brand that would throw itself into a project like this with so much passion and conviction, and help make Teddy’s pink Escalade dream finally come true.
Thanks for the candid piece. Teddy sounds like he deserves all the blessings that are coming his way. May he have a long and prosperous career. He does his Momma proud.
Mark, I love this story!! What an amazing surprise. I was raised by a single mom, so I love that he pays it forward to her!