Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde (born
November 13,
1963 in
Brooklyn, New York) is an
American football quarterback who played most recently with the
National Football League's
New York Jets.
Testaverde was a star quarterback at the
University of Miami, winning the
Heisman Trophy in
1986 on his way to becoming the University of Miami's all-time leader in career
touchdown passes (46). Testaverde played an important part in the University of Miami's ascendance as one of the top collegiate football programs of the 1980s and 1990s.
Testaverde was the first overall draft pick of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the
1987 NFL draft. He has played in two
Pro Bowls (in
1996 with the
Baltimore Ravens and
1998 with the
New York Jets) in nineteen seasons in the NFL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
Testaverde was once the
highest paid player in football. |
In
1988, Testaverde became the Bucs' starting quarterback, throwing a 47.6% completion rate for 3,240 yards and 13 touchdowns, but with 35
interceptions. Toward the end of his tenure in Tampa, Testaverde began to receive taunts from fans and radio personalities about his color blindness. In 1991 a radio station in Tampa rented a billboard after losing to the
New York Giants that had Testaverde standing in front of a blue background. The billboard read: "Vinny thinks this is orange!" His numbers continued to improve and, by the
1992 season, his last with Tampa Bay, he threw for a 57.5% completion rate for 2,554 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens
Testaverde signed as an unrestricted free agent with the
Cleveland Browns in 1992. He spent three seasons in Cleveland, then moved with the Browns to Baltimore and played two more seasons with the newly-renamed
Baltimore Ravens.
New York Jets
In 1998, his first season with the Jets, Testaverde flourished, completing 61.5% of his passes with 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, arguably his best season in the NFL. However, in many of his remaining seasons with the Jets, Testaverde was hampered by injuries.
Dallas Cowboys
Despite his injuries, Testaverde's performance with the Jets endeared him to coach
Bill Parcells, who retired from coaching in
1999. One year after Parcells was lured out of retirement by
Dallas Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones, he brought Testaverde to his new team in 2004.
Testaverde initially was signed to be a backup and mentor to young Cowboys quarterback
Quincy Carter. But after Carter was abruptly cut by the Cowboys, Testaverde was given the starting quarterback job. While many questioned Testaverde's ability to still play in the NFL, the protection schemes and play calling allowed him to showcase his arm with mixed results. He was able to throw for significant yardage, but led the league in interceptions, getting picked off on 4 % of his passes.
Testaverde's one-year contract with the Cowboys expired early in
2005. The Cowboys chose to instead sign Parcells'
1993 number one
draft pick,
Drew Bledsoe, as their top quarterback, leaving Testaverde without a contract.
Back With the New York Jets
As injuries on
September 25 knocked both
Chad Pennington and backup
Jay Fiedler out for the
2005 season, the New York Jets re-signed Testaverde on
September 27, 2005. Testaverde was named the Jets' starting quarterback in week five of the 2005 season, in a home game against the team which originally drafted him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On
December 26, against the
New England Patriots on the final
ABC telecast of
Monday Night Football, Testaverde set a new NFL record for most consecutive seasons with at least one
touchdown pass, 19, by throwing a 27-yard pass to
Laveranues Coles to secure the record. That pass is also notable as being the last touchdown pass thrown on Monday Night Football while it was still broadcast by ABC. The game was also notable because the Patriots sent in back-up quarterback
Doug Flutie, making this the first game in NFL history in which two quarterbacks over the age of 40 competed a pass (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43).
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Heisman Trophy 1986 Award: Vinny Testaverde.
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Fan site.
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Vinny Testaverde profile, NNDB.
