Teddy Bridgewater, the junior Louisville quarterback who is consensus No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft should he decide to forgo his senior season, said he remains divided on what to do.
Bridgewater said he will decide “hopefully three-to-four days after” Louisville’s Russell Athletic Bowl against Miami on Dec. 28 in Orlando.
“Whenever I feel comfortable after discussing it with my mom, my family and my coaches,” the 21-year-old said. “It’s not a hard decision at all. I know I control my future and my own destiny.”
He said he would return for his final year to play “in a new conference (the ACC) against better talent and being able to play another year with guys I’ve had great relationships with at Louisville.”
Going to the NFL would allow him to “finally say I reached my ultimate goal and it would change my mom’s life (financially),” he said. “I can make an impact on my environment, where I grew up in Miami, showing there’s no restrictions what you can reach. That someone from the same neighborhood can make it out.”
Bridgewater added that whatever NFL team has the first pick for next year’s draft will not impact his decision. He added that whenever he leaves college for the NFL, he wants to be able to say, “I was able to leave college a better person than when I came to college.”