Vinny Testaverde
Encyclopedia
Vincent Frank Testaverde (tɛstəˈvɜrdi; born November 13, 1963) is a former NFL
quarterback
. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers
and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Cleveland Browns
, Baltimore Ravens
, New York Jets
, Dallas Cowboys
and New England Patriots
. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having thrown a touchdown pass in 21 consecutive seasons. Testaverde also holds the record for most losses by a starting quarterback with 123. In addition, he holds the NFL record for throwing touchdown passes to 70 different players. Also, he holds the second highest completion percentage in a single game during the regular season (at least 20 attempts) at 91.3% (21/23), in 1993 vs. the Los Angeles Rams (Kurt Warner
is the first, with 24/26 for 92.3%). As a University of Miami
quarterback, he won the Heisman Trophy
in 1986.
, on Long Island
, Testaverde went to school in Floral Park
, at Sewanhaka High School
where he graduated.
He then went to Fork Union Military Academy
in Fork Union, Virginia
for a post graduate year and then accepted a football scholarship to University of Miami
, winning the Heisman Trophy
in 1986 on his way to becoming the Hurricanes
' all-time leader in career touchdown
passes with 48. He played in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
against Penn State for the 1986 national championship, a game in which the Miami Hurricanes were heavily favored, but went on to lose 14-10 after Testaverde threw five interceptions.
Testaverde played an important part in the University of Miami's history as one of the top collegiate football programs of the 1980s and 1990s. Along with Jim Kelly
and Bernie Kosar
, Testaverde is considered part of the University of Miami's quarterback dynasty. With a great college career, Vinny was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
in the 1987 NFL draft. He has played in two Pro Bowl
s (in 1996 with the Baltimore Ravens
and 1998 with the New York Jets
) in twenty one seasons in the NFL.
. In 1988 a radio station in Tampa rented a billboard that had Testaverde standing in front of a blue background. The billboard read: "Vinny thinks this is orange!" The high number of errors caused his intelligence to be called into question. National Football League Players Association president Gene Upshaw
, unaware that his comments could be heard by anyone viewing through a direct satellite uplink, once commented during an NFL Live! commercial break that Testaverde was so dumb that he would drag the electric cord through his swimming pool while trimming the hedges, and claimed to himself be a better quarterback (Upshaw was a retired offensive guard) than Testaverde. His numbers continued to improve, and in the 1992 season, his last with Tampa Bay, he threw for a 57.5% completion rate for 2,554 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
in 1992. After spending half a season as a backup to his fellow Miami Hurricane
teammate, Bernie Kosar
. He became the starter after Kosar's release by then Browns coach Bill Belichick
. Testaverde spent three seasons in Cleveland, and in 1994
led the team into the playoffs where they won the AFC
wildcard game against New England
before being defeated by Pittsburgh
. After 1995
, he moved with the Browns to Baltimore
and played two more seasons with the newly-renamed Baltimore Ravens
. Testaverde made his first Pro Bowl appearance
in 1996 with the Ravens.
Said football statistics site Football Outsiders
of Testaverde's unlikely 1996 season
, "The real reason the Ravens ranked first in rushing [efficiency] was, believe it or not, Vinny Testaverde, who was out of his gourd as a scrambler that season. Ignore the official stats and take out the kneels, and Testaverde had 197 yards on just 23 carries, 8.6 yards per carry. He scrambled seven times on third down with 5-10 yards to go and converted six of those. He scrambled six times on first-and-10 and gained a new first down five times. Testaverde had not rushed for 100 yards since 1992
."
champion Denver Broncos
. The Jets had Super Bowl hopes going into 1999, but unfortunately Testaverde suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon
in the first game and did not play the rest of the season, as the Jets narrowly missed the postseason without him.
In 2000, however, he returned to quarterback the Jets. The highlight of the season was the "Monday Night Miracle
" game against the Miami Dolphins
on October 23, 2000, selected by fans as the greatest game in Monday Night Football
history. In that game, the Jets fell behind 30-7 going into the fourth quarter, but came back to win the game, 40-37 behind five touchdown passes from Testaverde, including one each to Laveranues Coles
, Jermaine Wiggins
, Jumbo Elliott, and two to Wayne Chrebet
.
In 2001, he led the Jets back to the playoffs
, where they lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders
. In 2002, he was replaced after a 1-3 start by Chad Pennington
. He made cameo appearances to take the last snap in both the playoff clinching game versus the Green Bay Packers
and the 41-0 playoff win against the Indianapolis Colts
. In 2003, he was assigned to a backup role behind Pennington, although he started the first six games due to Pennington's left wrist injury.
, 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 for failing a drug test, 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, although 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. Dallas finished the 2004 season 6-10, tied for third and last place in the NFC East
division.
Testaverde's one-year contract with the Cowboys expired early in 2005. The Cowboys chose to instead sign Parcells's 1993 number one draft
pick, Drew Bledsoe
, as their top quarterback, leaving Testaverde without a contract. Parcells cites Testaverde's presence in Dallas as having been important to the development of current starter Tony Romo
.
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 that 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 completed a pass (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43).
signed Testaverde as a backup to starter Tom Brady
(the only other quarterback on New England's roster at the time was Matt Cassel
). Testaverde kneeled down for the final play in a victory against the Packers on November 19, 2006. 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. The Patriots defeated the Jets, Testaverde's former team, in the first round of the playoffs
, and Testaverde took the last couple of snaps to run out the clock.
Testaverde wore #14 with the Patriots, the second time the number has been re-issued since Steve Grogan
's retirement as P.K. Sam wore it earlier in the decade.
On May 29, 2007
, 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
. He officially signed a 1 year contract for $825,000 on August 18, 2007, but was released on September 1, 2007.
out for the 2007 season
due to an elbow injury he suffered in a Week 3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons
, and David Carr
out with a sore back, the Panthers signed Testaverde on October 10, 2007. Testaverde, wearing # 16, started his first game with the team on October 14, 2007 against the Arizona Cardinals
. In that game he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, extending his NFL record to 21 consecutive seasons with a touchdown pass. After leading the Panthers to a 25-10 victory, the 43-year-old became the oldest starting quarterback to win a game in NFL history, and the third-oldest to start one. He has also thrown touchdown passes to 71 different players, also a record. On Sunday October 28, coach John Fox named Testaverde the starting quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, Testaverde led the Panthers in the longest opening drive for a touchdown in franchise history, consisting of 18 plays and lasting for an unprecedented 11 minutes and one second. Despite winning time of possession in the first half of the game, the Panthers entered the locker room under a 3-point deficit. In the second half, Testaverde left the field with a sprained Achilles tendon, and was replaced by former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr
. Ultimately, the Panthers lost 31-7. Reports said that Testaverde would be out for at least a week.
On November 18, 2007, Testaverde and the Panthers hosted Brett Favre
and the Green Bay Packers
for their Week 11 matchup. With Testaverde at 44 years of age and Favre at 38 years of age, this was the oldest starting quarterback duo in any game in NFL history. The "Senior Bowl", as it was nicknamed in the media, was won by Favre's Packers 31-17.
On December 2, 2007, Testaverde became the second oldest starting quarterback in NFL history at 44 years and 19 days old. He 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. During this game, Testaverde and Dante Rosario became the passer/receiver duo with the largest age gap between them (20 years, 346 days) to connect for a touchdown.
Testaverde announced his plans for retirement on December 29, 2007 which would take effect after the final game of the season for Carolina on December 30.
Panthers coach John Fox sent him into the game to take the final kneel-down snap in a game which the Panthers won 31-23 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, expectantly bringing to an end to the 44-year-old's 21-year NFL career at the same city he took his first professional snap. By the start of 2008, he made it official by announcing his retirement in January. He will, therefore, first be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2013.
* The Cleveland Browns moved to Maryland and became the Baltimore Ravens following the 1995 season. The Browns and Ravens legally have separate team records as part of the settlement of the city of Cleveland's lawsuit against the team and NFL.
∮ Testaverde's 46,223 career passing yards rank 7th all time, while his 275 passing touchdowns rank 8th all time in NFL history.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having thrown a touchdown pass in 21 consecutive seasons. Testaverde also holds the record for most losses by a starting quarterback with 123. In addition, he holds the NFL record for throwing touchdown passes to 70 different players. Also, he holds the second highest completion percentage in a single game during the regular season (at least 20 attempts) at 91.3% (21/23), in 1993 vs. the Los Angeles Rams (Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
is the first, with 24/26 for 92.3%). As a University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
quarterback, he won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1986.
University of Miami
While living in Elmont, New YorkElmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
, on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Testaverde went to school in Floral Park
Floral Park, New York
Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. The village is at the western border of Nassau County, and is located in both the Town of Hempstead and the Town of North Hempstead...
, at Sewanhaka High School
Sewanhaka High School
Sewanhaka High School is a six-year public high school located in Floral Park, New York, United States, as part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. The school's sports teams are known as "The Indians" and the team colors are purple, gold, and white. The school's name translates to...
where he graduated.
He then went to Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy is a private, military boarding school located in the town of Fork Union, Virginia. The school is more commonly known by its acronym FUMA ....
in Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union is an unincorporated community in southern Fluvanna County, Virginia, along U.S. Highway 15. Its ZIP code is 23055; the population within that ZIP code was 1148 according to the 2000 Census...
for a post graduate year and then accepted a football scholarship to University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, winning the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1986 on his way to becoming the Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
' all-time leader in career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes with 48. He played in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
1987 Fiesta Bowl
The 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun...
against Penn State for the 1986 national championship, a game in which the Miami Hurricanes were heavily favored, but went on to lose 14-10 after Testaverde threw five interceptions.
Testaverde played an important part in the University of Miami's history as one of the top collegiate football programs of the 1980s and 1990s. Along with Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
and Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
, Testaverde is considered part of the University of Miami's quarterback dynasty. With a great college career, Vinny was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
Statistics
| Year | Comp | Att | Comp % | Passing | TD | INT |
| 1985 | 216 | 352 | 61.4 | 3,238 | 21 | 15 |
| 1986 | 175 | 276 | 63.4 | 2,557 | 26 | 9 |
NFL career
Testaverde was the first overall draft pick of the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the 1987 NFL draft. He has played in two Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s (in 1996 with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and 1998 with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) in twenty one seasons in the NFL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In 1988, Testaverde became the Bucs' starting quarterback, with a 47.6% completion rate for 3,240 yards and 15 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. During his tenure in Tampa, Testaverde received taunts from fans and radio personalities about his color blindnessColor blindness
Color blindness or color vision deficiency is the inability or decreased ability to see color, or perceive color differences, under lighting conditions when color vision is not normally impaired...
. In 1988 a radio station in Tampa rented a billboard that had Testaverde standing in front of a blue background. The billboard read: "Vinny thinks this is orange!" The high number of errors caused his intelligence to be called into question. National Football League Players Association president Gene Upshaw
Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
, unaware that his comments could be heard by anyone viewing through a direct satellite uplink, once commented during an NFL Live! commercial break that Testaverde was so dumb that he would drag the electric cord through his swimming pool while trimming the hedges, and claimed to himself be a better quarterback (Upshaw was a retired offensive guard) than Testaverde. His numbers continued to improve, and in the 1992 season, his last with Tampa Bay, he threw for a 57.5% completion rate for 2,554 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens
Testaverde signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1992. After spending half a season as a backup to his fellow Miami Hurricane
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
teammate, Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
. He became the starter after Kosar's release by then Browns coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
. Testaverde spent three seasons in Cleveland, and in 1994
1994 Cleveland Browns season
The 1994 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 45th season with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
led the team into the playoffs where they won the AFC
AFC
AFC is an abbreviation that may refer to:-Technology:* Application Foundation Classes, a graphical framework for building Java-based graphical user interfaces , developed by Microsoft* Automated Fare Collection System* Automatic frequency control...
wildcard game against New England
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
before being defeated by Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. After 1995
1995 Cleveland Browns season
The 1995 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 46th season with the National Football League. On November 6, then-owner Art Modell announced his intentions to move the team to Baltimore...
, he moved with the Browns to Baltimore
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
and played two more seasons with the newly-renamed Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Testaverde made his first Pro Bowl appearance
1997 Pro Bowl
The 1997 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 2, 1997 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 26, NFC 23. Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars was the game's MVP. In the game, Brunell threw for 236 yards...
in 1996 with the Ravens.
Said football statistics site Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...
of Testaverde's unlikely 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, "The real reason the Ravens ranked first in rushing [efficiency] was, believe it or not, Vinny Testaverde, who was out of his gourd as a scrambler that season. Ignore the official stats and take out the kneels, and Testaverde had 197 yards on just 23 carries, 8.6 yards per carry. He scrambled seven times on third down with 5-10 yards to go and converted six of those. He scrambled six times on first-and-10 and gained a new first down five times. Testaverde had not rushed for 100 yards since 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
."
New York Jets
In 1998, his first season with the Jets, Testaverde flourished, completing 61.5% of his passes with 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 101.6 Quarterback rating. In arguably his best season in the NFL, he led the Jets to the 1998 AFC East title and then to the AFC Championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Jets had Super Bowl hopes going into 1999, but unfortunately Testaverde suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
in the first game and did not play the rest of the season, as the Jets narrowly missed the postseason without him.
In 2000, however, he returned to quarterback the Jets. The highlight of the season was the "Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (American football)
In the National Football League, "The Monday Night Miracle" refers to a Monday night game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins played at Giants Stadium on October 23, 2000.-Background:...
" game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 23, 2000, selected by fans as the greatest game in Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
history. In that game, the Jets fell behind 30-7 going into the fourth quarter, but came back to win the game, 40-37 behind five touchdown passes from Testaverde, including one each to Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Leon Coles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University....
, Jermaine Wiggins
Jermaine Wiggins
Jermaine Wiggins is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Georgia....
, Jumbo Elliott, and two to Wayne Chrebet
Wayne Chrebet
Wayne Chrebet is a former football player who played 11 seasons as a wide receiver for the New York Jets of the NFL from 1995 to 2005.- High school and college career :...
.
In 2001, he led the Jets back to the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2001-02
The NFL playoffs following the 2001 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVI.For the first time, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers. Saturday wild card and divisional playoff games were moved from 12:30 p.m. and 4:00...
, where they lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 2002, he was replaced after a 1-3 start by Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
. He made cameo appearances to take the last snap in both the playoff clinching game versus the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and the 41-0 playoff win against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. In 2003, he was assigned to a backup role behind Pennington, although he started the first six games due to Pennington's left wrist injury.
Dallas Cowboys
Despite his injuries, Testaverde's performance with the Jets endeared him to coach Bill ParcellsBill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
, who retired from coaching in 1999. One year after Parcells was lured out of retirement by Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
, 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
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
, but after Carter was abruptly cut by the Cowboys for failing a drug test, 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, although 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. Dallas finished the 2004 season 6-10, tied for third and last place in the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
division.
Testaverde's one-year contract with the Cowboys expired early in 2005. The Cowboys chose to instead sign Parcells's 1993 number one draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
pick, Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
, as their top quarterback, leaving Testaverde without a contract. Parcells cites Testaverde's presence in Dallas as having been important to the development of current starter Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
.
Second stint with the New York Jets
As injuries on September 25, 2005 knocked both Chad PenningtonChad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
and backup Jay Fiedler
Jay Fiedler
Jay Brian Fiedler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Early life and high school years:Fiedler was born to a Jewish family on Long Island in Oceanside, New York...
out for the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, 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 that originally drafted him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On December 26, against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on the final ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
telecast of Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, Testaverde set a new NFL record for most consecutive seasons with at least one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass, 19, by throwing a 27-yard pass to Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Leon Coles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University....
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
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, making this the first game in NFL history in which two quarterbacks over the age of 40 completed a pass (Testaverde was 42, Flutie was 43).
New England Patriots
On November 14, 2006, the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
signed Testaverde as a backup to starter Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
(the only other quarterback on New England's roster at the time was Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
). Testaverde kneeled down for the final play in a victory against the Packers on November 19, 2006. Testaverde threw a touchdown pass to Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
on December 31, 2006 against the Tennessee Titans, giving him at least one touchdown pass for the twentieth straight season, extending his NFL record. The Patriots defeated the Jets, Testaverde's former team, in the first round of the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2006-07
The National Football League playoffs for the 2006 season began on January 6, 2007 and led up to Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.-AFC: Indianapolis Colts 23, Kansas City Chiefs 8:...
, and Testaverde took the last couple of snaps to run out the clock.
Testaverde wore #14 with the Patriots, the second time the number has been re-issued since Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
's retirement as P.K. Sam wore it earlier in the decade.
On May 29, 2007
2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
, 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
Sporting News Radio
Yahoo! Sports Radio, formerly Sporting News Radio is a United States sports radio network that broadcasts sports news, talk, scores, and highlights 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On August 1, 2011, it was announced the network would change its name to Yahoo! Sports Radio, effective...
. He officially signed a 1 year contract for $825,000 on August 18, 2007, but was released on September 1, 2007.
Carolina Panthers
With Jake DelhommeJake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
out for the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
due to an elbow injury he suffered in a Week 3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
out with a sore back, the Panthers signed Testaverde on October 10, 2007. Testaverde, wearing # 16, started his first game with the team on October 14, 2007 against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In that game he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, extending his NFL record to 21 consecutive seasons with a touchdown pass. After leading the Panthers to a 25-10 victory, the 43-year-old became the oldest starting quarterback to win a game in NFL history, and the third-oldest to start one. He has also thrown touchdown passes to 71 different players, also a record. On Sunday October 28, coach John Fox named Testaverde the starting quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, Testaverde led the Panthers in the longest opening drive for a touchdown in franchise history, consisting of 18 plays and lasting for an unprecedented 11 minutes and one second. Despite winning time of possession in the first half of the game, the Panthers entered the locker room under a 3-point deficit. In the second half, Testaverde left the field with a sprained Achilles tendon, and was replaced by former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Ultimately, the Panthers lost 31-7. Reports said that Testaverde would be out for at least a week.
On November 18, 2007, Testaverde and the Panthers hosted Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
for their Week 11 matchup. With Testaverde at 44 years of age and Favre at 38 years of age, this was the oldest starting quarterback duo in any game in NFL history. The "Senior Bowl", as it was nicknamed in the media, was won by Favre's Packers 31-17.
On December 2, 2007, Testaverde became the second oldest starting quarterback in NFL history at 44 years and 19 days old. He 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. During this game, Testaverde and Dante Rosario became the passer/receiver duo with the largest age gap between them (20 years, 346 days) to connect for a touchdown.
Testaverde announced his plans for retirement on December 29, 2007 which would take effect after the final game of the season for Carolina on December 30.
Panthers coach John Fox sent him into the game to take the final kneel-down snap in a game which the Panthers won 31-23 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, expectantly bringing to an end to the 44-year-old's 21-year NFL career at the same city he took his first professional snap. By the start of 2008, he made it official by announcing his retirement in January. He will, therefore, first be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2013.
Career statistics
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | QB RAT | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 1987 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
6 | 60.2 | 71 | 165 | 43.0 | 1081 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 50 | 1 | ||
| 1988 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 | 75.6 | 222 | 466 | 47.6 | 3240 | 15 | 35 | 28 | 138 | 1 | ||
| 1989 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 68.9 | 258 | 480 | 53.8 | 3133 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 139 | 0 | ||
| 1990 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 75.6 | 203 | 365 | 55.6 | 2818 | 17 | 18 | 38 | 280 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 | 59.0 | 166 | 326 | 50.9 | 1994 | 8 | 15 | 32 | 101 | 0 | ||
| 1992 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 74.2 | 206 | 358 | 57.5 | 2554 | 14 | 16 | 36 | 197 | 2 | ||
| 1993 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
10 | 85.7 | 130 | 230 | 56.5 | 1797 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 74 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | Cleveland Browns | 14 | 70.7 | 207 | 376 | 55.1 | 2575 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 1995 | Cleveland Browns | 13 | 87.8 | 241 | 392 | 61.5 | 2883 | 17 | 10 | 18 | 62 | 2 | ||
| 1996 | Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... * |
16 | 88.7 | 325 | 549 | 59.2 | 4177 | 33 | 19 | 34 | 188 | 2 | ||
| 1997 | Baltimore Ravens* | 13 | 75.9 | 271 | 470 | 57.7 | 2971 | 18 | 15 | 34 | 138 | 0 | ||
| 1998 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
14 | 101.6 | 259 | 421 | 61.5 | 3256 | 29 | 7 | 24 | 104 | 1 | ||
| 1999 | New York Jets | 1 | 78.8 | 10 | 15 | 66.7 | 96 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | New York Jets | 16 | 69.0 | 328 | 590 | 55.6 | 3732 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2001 | New York Jets | 16 | 75.3 | 260 | 441 | 59.0 | 2752 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | New York Jets | 5 | 78.3 | 54 | 83 | 65.1 | 499 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | New York Jets | 7 | 90.6 | 123 | 198 | 62.1 | 1385 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
16 | 76.4 | 297 | 495 | 60.0 | 3532 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 38 | 1 | ||
| 2005 | New York Jets | 6 | 59.4 | 60 | 106 | 56.6 | 777 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2006 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
3 | 137.5 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
7 | 65.8 | 94 | 172 | 54.7 | 952 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Totals | 233 | 78.8 | 3787 | 6701 | 56.5 | 46233∮ | 275 | 267 | 430 | 1661 | 15 | |||
∮ Testaverde's 46,223 career passing yards rank 7th all time, while his 275 passing touchdowns rank 8th all time in NFL history.