41 Facts About Vinny Testaverde

Vinny Testaverde played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1986.

Vinny Testaverde then joined the New York Jets, where he achieved his greatest success.

Vinny Testaverde was known for his strong arm and high volume, but was known for his high interception totals.

Vinny Testaverde threw more than 20 interceptions in four of his 21 seasons, including his second season with the Buccaneers, in which he threw 35 interceptions.

Vinny Testaverde then attended Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia for a post-graduate year of college preparatory work.

Vinny Testaverde accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 1982 to 1986.

Vinny Testaverde redshirted as a freshman, backed up Bernie Kosar for the next two seasons, and became the starter in 1985.

Vinny Testaverde played an important part in the University of Miami's history as one of the top college football programs of the 1980s and 1990s.

Vinny Testaverde was selected as the first overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL draft.

Vinny Testaverde made his first start in a Week 13 loss to the Saints.

Vinny Testaverde scored his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard rush and he threw his first passing touchdown on a 37-yard pass to Mark Carrier.

In 1988, a radio station in Tampa rented a billboard that had Vinny Testaverde standing in front of a blue background.

Vinny Testaverde signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 1993.

Vinny Testaverde would be present for the controversial Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore following a series of franchise relocations throughout the league.

Vinny Testaverde scored the first touchdown in the history of the Ravens on a nine-yard run and ended the season with over 4,000 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.

Vinny Testaverde made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 1996, with the Ravens.

Vinny Testaverde scrambled six times on a 1st-and-10 and gained a new first down five times.

Vinny Testaverde signed a restructured four-year contract with the Ravens ahead of the 1997 season.

However, Vinny Testaverde did not perform as well in 1997, as he did the previous year.

Vinny Testaverde threw 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and was replaced by backup Eric Zeier after suffering an injury.

In 1998, his first season with his hometown New York Jets, Vinny Testaverde began the season as the second-string quarterback behind starter Glenn Foley, whose rib injury in Week 2 made him the starter.

Vinny Testaverde flourished in his first start, throwing four touchdown passes against the Indianapolis Colts and winning two straight games for the Jets.

The recovered Foley was named the starter by head coach Bill Parcells for their Week 6 game against the St Louis Rams, but after a miserable 5-of-15 outing, he was benched and replaced by Vinny Testaverde, who remained the starter for the rest of the season.

Vinny Testaverde had been tackled and the ball was not across the goal line when this happened, but because Vinny Testaverde's helmet had crossed the line the game's head linesman, Earnie Frantz, ruled the play a touchdown.

However, in the first game of the season, against the New England Patriots, Vinny Testaverde suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and did not play for the rest of the season.

Vinny Testaverde finished with 3,732 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions.

Vinny Testaverde was efficient in the loss, passing for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Vinny 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 for allegedly failing a drug test, Vinny Testaverde was given the starting quarterback job.

At the time, Vinny Testaverde's 3,532 passing yards and 297 completions were the third-best total of his career and the third-most passing yards in Dallas Cowboys franchise history.

Vinny Testaverde tied the franchise record for 300-yard passing games in a season with three and became the fifth quarterback in league history to pass for over 300 yards at 40 years old.

Vinny Testaverde was named the Jets' starting quarterback in week five of the 2005 season, in a home game against the team that originally drafted him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Vinny Testaverde kneeled down for the final play in a victory against the Packers on November 19,2006.

Vinny Testaverde threw a touchdown pass to Troy Brown on December 31,2006, against the Tennessee Titans, giving him at least one touchdown pass for the twentieth straight season, extending his NFL record.

On May 29,2007, Vinny Testaverde stated his interest in returning to the Patriots for the 2007 NFL season, and on July 13,2007, confirmed this with Sporting News Radio.

Vinny Testaverde officially signed a 1-year contract for $825,000 on August 18,2007, but was released on September 1,2007.

Vinny Testaverde has thrown touchdown passes to 71 different players, a record since broken by Tom Brady.

In that game, Vinny Testaverde led the Panthers in the longest opening drive for a touchdown in franchise history, consisting of 18 plays and lasting over 11 minutes.

Reports said that Vinny Testaverde would be out for at least a week.

Vinny Testaverde threw two touchdown passes against the San Francisco 49ers in the Panthers' win, breaking his own record for the oldest starter to win an NFL game.

Vinny Testaverde officially announced his retirement from professional football in January 2008.

Vinny Testaverde is currently the quarterbacks coach at Jesuit High School of Tampa, where his son Vincent Jr.