The Florida Senate unanimously passed legislation known as the Teddy Bridgewater Act, reshaping how high school coaches can support their players across the state.
The bill stems from Teddy Bridgewater’s suspension after he personally covered expenses for players at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, his alma mater. Those payments included food, transportation and recovery services but were ruled impermissible under Florida High School Athletic Association guidelines.
The legislation would overturn longstanding rules on impermissible benefits for high school coaches.
Under the new framework, public school head coaches could use up to $15,000 of their personal funds per team annually. The contributions must be made in good faith and properly reported to maintain accountability.
Shervin Jones introduced the bill with a companion measure in the House filed by Chip LaMarca.
“This legislation ensures that no student athlete goes without basic needs simply because resources are limited,” LaMarca said in a statement. “Our coaches often serve as mentors and lifelines for our youth. This bill gives them the flexibility to support student well being while keeping strong accountability measures in place.”
Jones said the measure balances compassion with structure. It’s designed to provide clarity for coaches while maintaining appropriate oversight.
The former Louisville quarterback and NFL veteran responded on Instagram Stories after the Senate vote. Sharing coverage of the bill’s passage, he wrote, “Not the Teddy B act” followed by two fire emojis.
The playful but pointed reaction acknowledged the legislation tied to his suspension.
Bridgewater’s case highlighted gaps in current rules that prevented coaches from helping players with basic needs. His suspension drew attention to situations where coaches wanted to support student athletes but couldn’t under existing guidelines.
The measure now moves to the Florida House of Representatives. If approved there, it heads to Ron DeSantis for final consideration before becoming law.
The legislation could set a precedent for other states grappling with similar issues around coach-player support systems.
