CARDINALS

NFL a grind for rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj

It was early Wednesday evening, and Teddy Bridgewater sounded exactly like a guy who just iced down after football practice.

"I'm excited to be here," the former University of Louisville quarterback said from the Minnesota Vikings' camp. "So far it's been wonderful. It's been great. The group of guys we have here, the coaching staff — they're great guys. It's exceeded my expectations."

The rookie speaks with the same calm, hushed tones familiar to those who followed him through his three seasons at U of L. He said he's still trying to catch his breath in just about every facet of his life.

Draft workouts almost immediately followed U of L's Russell Athletic Bowl victory late last December, and once the Vikings traded into the first round to select Bridgewater with the 32nd pick, the media obligations, rookie workouts and team practices have consumed the Miami native.

"It's a nonstop grind," Bridgewater said. So much so that he still hasn't caught up with friend and former U of L basketball star Gorgui Dieng, who lives in Minneapolis and plays for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.

On the field, Bridgewater, who made his preseason debut last Friday to mixed reviews, is experiencing the same things as an NFL rookie as the newcomers at U of L's preseason camp. It's a new level of football, with new coaches, new teammates, new surroundings. New everything.

"Everything will continue to slow down the more I get comfortable," he said. "The biggest thing is just being more decisive and being quicker with my decision-making. At Louisville, and playing college football, a wide receiver being open was completely different than a wide receiver being open in the NFL."

Bridgewater has been a popular figure all year. He started the draft process in January amid some speculation of being the No. 1 pick. Then criticism of everything from his hand size and body frame to passing velocity and deep-ball accuracy generated myriad sensational headlines.

On the eve of the draft, most analysts suspected the 6-foot-2, 214-pound Bridgewater might slip into the second round. The Houston Texas, picking first in that round (33rd overall), needed a quarterback.

But the Vikings saw an opening with the final slot in the first round and pounced, trading their second- and fourth-round picks to Seattle so they could move up and take Bridgewater.

The first-round selection earned him a four-year contract worth $6.85 million, including a $3.3 million bonus.

Yes, Bridgewater got Rose Murphy her pink Cadillac, fulfilling his well-documented childhood dream of buying one for his mother.

Now, nearly two months removed from the draft, all the anxiety, nitpicking and hemming and hawing are gone, at least among draftniks.

"It was a huge relief," Bridgewater said. "This is what I love to do. I love to play football and love to compete. I'm trying to be a good teammate. I'm glad it happened. I was able to learn a lot from what happened. I don't think about those things anymore."

Now the focus is on his performance as a rookie quarterback. He was 6 of 13 for 49 yards in his preseason debut last Friday, and his teammates recovered his fumble.

The practice reports from Minnesota this week say Bridgewater is struggling through a turnover problem, throwing three interceptions Monday and two more Wednesday.

"There could be a concern," star running back Adrian Peterson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "But that's how you find out if a guy is resilient or not."

In the same report, Peterson said he's been in Bridgewater's ear, encouraging him and hoping he's not dwelling on his mistakes.

Sounds a lot like the stories from teammates about what Bridgewater did at U of L.

"When I was there, I was able to accomplish great things and Louisville accomplished great things as a team," he said. "I look forward to watching those guys this fall, and hopefully we both do well."

Reach Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter @jeffgreer_cj.