How Malik Cunningham continues the Louisville legacy started by Teddy Bridgewater, Lamar Jackson

Teddy Bridgewater, Lamar Jackson and Malik Cunningham — Louisville quarterbacks past and present — got together for the first time in April at a wellness event for kids in their adopted city. At first, none of them knew what to say, their naturally shy personalities making it hard to be the first to speak up.

Finally, after a few minutes of awkwardly looking at each other, Bridgewater and Jackson cracked a joke. Cunningham started laughing and away they went the rest of the afternoon, teasing and cajoling and having fun playing football with the boys and girls who have known nothing but either Teddy, Lamar or Malik as the starting quarterback repping the Cardinals.

What makes their presence significant is twofold: No one expected Bridgewater, Jackson and Cunningham to choose Louisville, and as a result the city embraces them as if they were homegrown stars. Perhaps more meaningful is what they represent, both to the kids at the camp and the nation at large: three elite Black quarterbacks starting in near succession for more than a decade.

«It makes a statement in the city of Louisville, us being the face of the university — that's something that's big in the communities out there where they don't have much hope,» said Bridgewater, a Miami Dolphins backup. «For us to be able to provide an ounce of hope to a kid down in the communities, whether it's the West End or different parts of Louisville, that Teddy did it, Lamar did it, Malik is doing it, maybe one day I can do it as well.»

When Cunningham takes the field Friday against Florida State (7:30 p.m., ESPN), he will take with him that legacy — one that unwittingly began when Bridgewater committed to then-coach Charlie Strong in 2010. Bridgewater, from South Florida, was