The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bridgewater praises Strong
04.02.2014 | Football
Top NFL Draft prospect Teddy Bridgewater described the significant role Charlie Strong has played in his life and career on Longhorn Network's Longhorn Extra.
Top NFL Draft prospect Teddy Bridgewater, who spent his college career at Louisville under Charlie Strong, described the significant role his former head coach has played in his life and career on Tuesday's Longhorn Network Longhorn Extra Show. Bridgewater is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks chosen in the 2014 NFL Draft.
"Coach Strong is a great coach. He's one of those guys that cares more about you as a person than as a football player. He's all about being successful in life and winning in life. He played a huge role in my career, not only my playing career, but my academic career, pushing me, motivating me to be the best that I could be. As a coach he's one of those guys who's a grinder, a tough coach, and he wants the best out of his players.
"Basically, he's one of those coaches who sticks to his word. When I was a freshman, I was recruited to play quarterback, but things weren't going so well when I first arrived there. I just wanted to get on the field, and I told Coach Strong, 'I want to play wide receiver. I just want to be on the field.' He told me, 'Look here, I recruited you to play quarterback, you're going to play quarterback. Just be patient, your time's going to come.' Basically, he put a lot of trust into me and saw the big picture. He's one of the best in the business, and he's someone who really understands the game of football.
"He's someone who can adapt to each person on the team, no matter where they come from. I would just tell them to take advantage of him, pick his brain –he loves that – and be able to take tough coaching."
