BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 14
Photo: Mike Jula / Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Official archive gallery.
Quarterback • Buccaneers 1987–1992
A Tampa beginning. A remarkable long run.
Vinny Testaverde • Vincent Frank Testaverde
- Born
- November 13, 1963 • Brooklyn, New York
- Home community
- Elmont, New York
- High school
- Sewanhaka High School • Floral Park, New York
- College prep
- Fork Union Military Academy • 1981–1982
- College
- University of Miami • 1982–1986
- NFL draft
- 1987 • Round 1, pick 1 • Tampa Bay
- NFL career
- 1987–2007 • 21 seasons • Retired
- Pro Bowls
- 1996 with Baltimore • 1998 with the Jets
Sources: College Football Hall of Fame, Heisman biography, Fork Union Hall of Fame and National Football Foundation.
Career totals cover his completed playing career. Sources: the NFL record below, Tampa Bay’s career summary and the Heisman Trust.
The Buccaneers made Vinny Testaverde the first selection of the 1987 NFL Draft. His six seasons in Tampa Bay began a professional career that lasted through 2007, carrying him from the orange-and-white uniform to six other NFL clubs. His Tampa Bay beginnings; his full professional itinerary.
For the Krewe, No. 14 brings back a particular era of Buccaneers football. The full story also invites a wider look: preparation before college, the demands placed on a first overall pick, new opportunities with new teams, and the determination to keep playing long after most careers have ended.
Long Island → Miami → Tampa Bay → A lasting NFL career
Three chapters in a quarterback’s education
Before the first pick Preparation, patience and a Heisman.
After graduating from Sewanhaka in 1981, Testaverde spent a postgraduate year at Fork Union, strengthening his preparation for college. He also competed in the javelin. Fork Union’s account.
He arrived at Miami in 1982, played sparingly, then redshirted in 1983. After backing up Bernie Kosar in 1984, he became the starter in 1985. His 1986 season brought Miami its first Heisman Trophy. The Heisman biography.
1987–1992 Six seasons in Buccaneer colors.
New coach Ray Perkins and Tampa Bay chose Testaverde first overall in 1987. He began behind Steve DeBerg, then started the final four games of his rookie season. Consecutive 3,000-yard passing seasons in 1988 and 1989 followed. The Buccaneers’ historical review.
His Tampa Bay record spans 76 appearances, 72 starts and 77 touchdown passes. Those years account for 14,820 of his career passing yards. The official six-season totals.
1993–2007 New settings, more opportunities.
Cleveland was followed by Baltimore, where he earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1996. His later stops included the Jets, Dallas, New England and Carolina. The career itinerary.
Joining the Jets in 1998 brought him to the team he had followed as a boy. He helped New York finish 12–4 and reach the AFC Championship Game, earning a second Pro Bowl invitation. The Jets’ retrospective.
December 6, 1987 • At New Orleans
A first start with plenty of work
First NFL start
369
PASSING YARDS • TWO TOUCHDOWNS
22 completions on 47 attempts.
A rookie takes over the huddle.
NEW ORLEANS 44 • TAMPA BAY 34
Testaverde made his first NFL start on the road against the Saints. He threw 47 passes for 369 yards, a substantial workload for a quarterback opening a game for the first time. Tampa Bay’s first-start history.
His line included 22 completions and two touchdown passes. New Orleans won 44–34, leaving the promising yardage total alongside a difficult team result. The Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 518; the club’s account of the game.
His first start was one game within the 1987 season; its statistics are already included in that year’s regular-season row.
October–December 2007 • Carolina Panthers
One more call, then a farewell in Tampa
A winning return at 43
Four days after signing with Carolina, Testaverde started at Arizona on October 14, 2007. At 43 years and 335 days, he threw a 65-yard touchdown to Steve Smith in a 25–10 victory. That day, he became the oldest starting quarterback to win an NFL game. Carolina’s account of his return.
The Panthers’ retrospective describes a decision shaped by family as well as football: the manageable trip between New York and Charlotte, along with an arrangement for family visits, helped make one more season possible. The circumstances behind the comeback.
The last play comes full circle
His final NFL appearance came on December 30, 2007, at age 44. Playing for Carolina against the Buccaneers in Tampa, Testaverde took a single kneel-down. He attempted no passes. Tampa Bay’s account of his final appearance.
A career that began with the Buccaneers ended on a field in the same city. For fans looking back across all those seasons, that small final play gives the story a fitting place to close.
The age milestone describes the record he established in October 2007; it is not presented as a current NFL record.
1987–2007 • Seven NFL clubs • Regular season only
The complete NFL regular-season record
His NFL career comprises 233 regular-season appearances and 214 starts. Tampa Bay accounts for 76 games, 72 starts, 1,126 completions on 2,160 attempts, 14,820 passing yards, 77 TD and 112 INT; the calculated Buccaneers passer rating is 64.4. The six Tampa Bay seasons are highlighted below. Sources: Buccaneers career summary, career totals and annual historical record.
Passing, appearances and starts • all 21 seasons
| Season | Club | G | GS | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | Y/A | LNG | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | TB | 6 | 4 | 71 | 165 | 43.0 | 1,081 | 6.6 | 40 | 5 | 6 | 60.2 |
| 1988 | TB | 15 | 15 | 222 | 466 | 47.6 | 3,240 | 7.0 | 59 | 13 | 35 | 48.8 |
| 1989 | TB | 14 | 14 | 258 | 480 | 53.8 | 3,133 | 6.5 | 78 | 20 | 22 | 68.9 |
| 1990 | TB | 14 | 13 | 203 | 365 | 55.6 | 2,818 | 7.7 | 89 | 17 | 18 | 75.6 |
| 1991 | TB | 13 | 12 | 166 | 326 | 50.9 | 1,994 | 6.1 | 87 | 8 | 15 | 59.0 |
| 1992 | TB | 14 | 14 | 206 | 358 | 57.5 | 2,554 | 7.1 | 81 | 14 | 16 | 74.2 |
| 1993 | CLE | 10 | 6 | 130 | 230 | 56.5 | 1,797 | 7.8 | 62 | 14 | 9 | 85.7 |
| 1994 | CLE | 14 | 13 | 207 | 376 | 55.1 | 2,575 | 6.8 | 81 | 16 | 18 | 70.7 |
| 1995 | CLE | 13 | 12 | 241 | 392 | 61.5 | 2,883 | 7.4 | 70 | 17 | 10 | 87.8 |
| 1996 | BAL | 16 | 16 | 325 | 549 | 59.2 | 4,177 | 7.6 | 86 | 33 | 19 | 88.7 |
| 1997 | BAL | 13 | 13 | 271 | 470 | 57.7 | 2,971 | 6.3 | 54 | 18 | 15 | 75.9 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 14 | 13 | 259 | 421 | 61.5 | 3,256 | 7.7 | 82 | 29 | 7 | 101.6 |
| 1999 | NYJ | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 66.7 | 96 | 6.4 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 78.8 |
| 2000 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 328 | 590 | 55.6 | 3,732 | 6.3 | 63 | 21 | 25 | 69.0 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 260 | 441 | 59.0 | 2,752 | 6.2 | 40 | 15 | 14 | 75.3 |
| 2002 | NYJ | 5 | 4 | 54 | 83 | 65.1 | 499 | 6.0 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 78.3 |
| 2003 | NYJ | 7 | 7 | 123 | 198 | 62.1 | 1,385 | 7.0 | 61 | 7 | 2 | 90.6 |
| 2004 | DAL | 16 | 15 | 297 | 495 | 60.0 | 3,532 | 7.1 | 53 | 17 | 20 | 76.4 |
| 2005 | NYJ | 6 | 4 | 60 | 106 | 56.6 | 777 | 7.3 | 47 | 1 | 6 | 59.4 |
| 2006 | NE | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 29 | 9.7 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 137.5 |
| 2007 | CAR | 7 | 6 | 94 | 172 | 54.7 | 952 | 5.5 | 65 | 5 | 6 | 65.8 |
| NFL career | 7 clubs | 233 | 214 | 3,787 | 6,701 | 56.5 | 46,233 | 6.9 | 89 | 275 | 267 | 75.0 |
G = games played; GS = starts; CMP = completions; ATT = attempts; CMP% = completion percentage; YDS = passing yards; Y/A = yards per attempt; LNG = longest completion; TD = touchdown passes; INT = interceptions; RTG = NFL passer rating. Rates are calculated from exact counts and rounded to one decimal. Completion percentages for 1994 and 2007 are 55.1% and 54.7%; NFL.com displays 55.0 and 54.6. Career rating is calculated from combined totals, not an average of annual ratings. Longest gains are maxima.
Sources: NFL annual statistics, official participation, Pro Football Archives.
Rushing • all 21 seasons
| Season | Club | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | TB | 13 | 50 | 3.8 | 17 | 1 |
| 1988 | TB | 28 | 138 | 4.9 | 24 | 1 |
| 1989 | TB | 25 | 139 | 5.6 | 16 | 0 |
| 1990 | TB | 38 | 280 | 7.4 | 48 | 1 |
| 1991 | TB | 32 | 101 | 3.2 | 19 | 0 |
| 1992 | TB | 36 | 197 | 5.5 | 18 | 2 |
| 1993 | CLE | 18 | 74 | 4.1 | 14 | 0 |
| 1994 | CLE | 21 | 37 | 1.8 | 12 | 2 |
| 1995 | CLE | 18 | 62 | 3.4 | 14 | 2 |
| 1996 | BAL | 34 | 188 | 5.5 | 22 | 2 |
| 1997 | BAL | 34 | 138 | 4.1 | 16 | 0 |
| 1998 | NYJ | 24 | 104 | 4.3 | 25 | 1 |
| 1999 | NYJ | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2000 | NYJ | 25 | 32 | 1.3 | 15 | 0 |
| 2001 | NYJ | 31 | 25 | 0.8 | 12 | 0 |
| 2002 | NYJ | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 24 | 0 |
| 2003 | NYJ | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 13 | 0 |
| 2004 | DAL | 21 | 38 | 1.8 | 10 | 1 |
| 2005 | NYJ | 7 | 4 | 0.6 | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 | NE | 8 | -8 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 |
| 2007 | CAR | 9 | 22 | 2.4 | 16 | 0 |
| NFL career | 7 clubs | 430 | 1,661 | 3.9 | 48 | 15 |
AVG = rushing yards per attempt; LNG = longest run. Tampa Bay subtotal: 172 carries, 905 yards, 5.3 AVG and five rushing TD. No attempts were recorded in his one-game 1999 season, so its average and longest run are shown as dashes. The 2006 negative yardage is retained as recorded.
Sources: NFL rushing record and Pro Football Archives.
Club abbreviations: TB = Tampa Bay Buccaneers; CLE = Cleveland Browns; BAL = Baltimore Ravens; NYJ = New York Jets; DAL = Dallas Cowboys; NE = New England Patriots; CAR = Carolina Panthers. His 2007 New England preseason roster stint produced no regular-season appearances; all seven of his 2007 games were with Carolina.
NFL postseason • Individual appearances
Seven playoff appearances, five starts
Testaverde’s playoff record includes starts with Cleveland and the Jets, plus two late-game relief appearances. The January 4, 2003 Jets game and January 7, 2007 Patriots game remain in the record even though he did not throw a pass. Sources: career participation, the individual game logs, and the 2002 Jets postseason record and 2006 Patriots postseason record.
Playoff passing • dates, opponents and results
| Date | Club | Round (season) | Opponent | Result | GS | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-01-01 | CLE | Wild Card (1994) | vs. NE | W 20–13 | 1 | 20 | 30 | 268 | 1 | 0 | 106.0 |
| 1995-01-07 | CLE | Divisional (1994) | @ PIT | L 9–29 | 1 | 13 | 31 | 144 | 1 | 2 | 40.3 |
| 1999-01-10 | NYJ | Divisional (1998) | vs. JAX | W 34–24 | 1 | 24 | 36 | 284 | 1 | 1 | 88.2 |
| 1999-01-17 | NYJ | AFC Championship (1998) | @ DEN | L 10–23 | 1 | 31 | 52 | 356 | 0 | 2 | 64.3 |
| 2002-01-12 | NYJ | Wild Card (2001) | @ OAK | L 24–38 | 1 | 26 | 40 | 268 | 3 | 0 | 109.2 |
| 2003-01-04 | NYJ | Wild Card (2002) | vs. IND | W 41–0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007-01-07 | NE | Wild Card (2006) | vs. NYJ | W 37–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Playoff total | 7 games | 5 postseasons | — | — | 5 | 114 | 189 | 1,320 | 6 | 5 | 81.0 |
Dates are calendar dates; parentheses identify the football season. GS = starts; vs. = home game; @ = away. Results are from his team’s perspective. Opponents: PIT = Pittsburgh; JAX = Jacksonville; DEN = Denver; OAK = Oakland; IND = Indianapolis; NE = New England; NYJ = New York Jets. His record as a playoff starter was 2–3. Relief appearances are included in the seven-game count; their undefined passer ratings are dashes.
Sources: individual game logs, 1998 Jets, 2001 Jets, 1994 Cleveland game log, and the 2002 Jets postseason record and 2006 Patriots postseason record.
Playoff rushing • including relief kneel-downs
| Date | Club | Opponent | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-01-01 | CLE | vs. NE | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 9 | 0 |
| 1995-01-07 | CLE | @ PIT | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1999-01-10 | NYJ | vs. JAX | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 |
| 1999-01-17 | NYJ | @ DEN | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2002-01-12 | NYJ | @ OAK | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003-01-04 | NYJ | vs. IND | 2 | -2 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 |
| 2007-01-07 | NE | vs. NYJ | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 |
| Playoff total | 7 games | — | 10 | 16 | 1.6 | 9 | 0 |
The January 2003 relief appearance includes two kneel-downs for −2 yards; the January 2007 appearance includes one for −1 yard. The two zero-attempt games remain present with dashes for inapplicable averages and longest gains. These figures are separate from regular-season rushing.
Sources: individual game logs, official Jets postseason statistics and official Patriots postseason statistics.
University of Miami • 1982–1986
The Hurricane who won Miami’s first Heisman
Testaverde’s 1986 Heisman Trophy season followed years of preparation and reserve duty. He was part of Miami’s 1983 national-championship roster while redshirting, then moved into the starting role in 1985. The Heisman Trust’s career account.
His 1986 honors also included the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-America recognition. Miami’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Scope matters: the published Miami career totals are regular-season only. NCAA records from this period excluded bowls, so the bowl performances below are kept separate. Miami’s actual individual participation was 29 games and 21 starts. The 1983 redshirt season carries no playing-statistics row. Sources: Miami’s official career table, 2025 Miami media guide, printed p. 171 and the NCAA’s historical statistics policy.
Miami regular-season passing and participation
| Season | G | GS | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | Y/A | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 41.7 | 79 | 6.6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 34 | 50.0 | 184 | 5.4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | 11 | 11 | 216 | 352 | 61.4 | 3,238 | 9.2 | 21 | 15 |
| 1986 | 10 | 10 | 175 | 276 | 63.4 | 2,557 | 9.3 | 26 | 9 |
| Miami career | 29 | 21 | 413 | 674 | 61.3 | 6,058 | 9.0 | 48 | 25 |
The highlighted row is his Heisman season. Miami went 11–0 in the 1986 regular season, while Testaverde personally appeared in ten games; he did not play against East Carolina. College passing totals exclude the Sugar and Fiesta Bowl figures shown below.
Sources: Miami’s official career table, 2025 Miami media guide, printed p. 171, NCAA career record and 1986 Heisman game log.
Miami regular-season rushing
| Season | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 3 | -10 | -3.3 | 0 |
| 1984 | 8 | -49 | -6.1 | 0 |
| 1985 | 68 | -158 | -2.3 | 4 |
| 1986 | 46 | -103 | -2.2 | 4 |
| Miami career | 125 | -320 | -2.6 | 8 |
These are college rushing totals, with negative yardage retained as recorded. AVG is net rushing yards divided by attempts. His college record also includes one reception for 13 yards in 1986.
Annual rushing and receiving: Sports Reference; the 1986 rushing row is also verified by the official Heisman game log.
Documented bowl starts • kept separate from regular-season totals
| Date | Bowl (season) | Opponent | Result | CMP | ATT | Pass YDS | Pass TD | INT | Rush ATT | Rush YDS | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-01-01 | Sugar Bowl (1985) | Tennessee | L 7–35 | 20 | 36 | 217 | 1 | 3 | 10 | -78 | 0 |
| 1987-01-02 | Fiesta Bowl (1986) | Penn State | L 10–14 | 26 | 50 | 285 | 0 | 5 | 9 | -10 | 0 |
| Shown games | 2 starts | — | — | 46 | 86 | 502 | 1 | 8 | 19 | -88 | 0 |
This table covers two documented starts, with calendar dates and the corresponding football seasons. The 1987 Fiesta rushing line follows the bowl’s official record: nine attempts for −10 yards. The 1985 Fiesta Bowl box score provides no individual Testaverde statistical entry; no appearance or confirmed DNP is inferred from that omission. His 1983 redshirt season is not counted as a playing appearance in the January 1984 Orange Bowl.
Sources: Sugar Bowl official history, Tennessee’s bowl record, Fiesta Bowl official history and Fiesta Bowl media guide, printed p. 39.
Education • Recognition • Family & community
What continued after the final snap
Remembering the preparation
Fork Union’s Hall of Fame biography credits his postgraduate year with helping him prepare academically for Miami. The academy inducted him into its own Hall of Fame in 2009. The school’s recognition.
College football added another honor in 2013, when he entered the College Football Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame profile. His path offers a reminder that a celebrated playing career can begin with an extra year devoted to getting ready.
Sharing experience and staying connected
Miami’s 2013 Hall of Fame announcement recognized Testaverde’s involvement with the Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa. The university’s announcement.
In a 2019 Jets interview, he described helping his son Vincent develop as a quarterback. Preparation, confidence and trusting a decision were central to the guidance he shared. Testaverde on life after the NFL.
The community and mentoring accounts above describe activities reported in 2013 and 2019.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Identity and development: the College Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trust and Fork Union Military Academy.
- Tampa Bay: Buccaneers historical features, the official media guide and the club’s archive photo gallery, linked beside the relevant passages.
- Later career and retirement: official Jets, Panthers and Miami accounts.
- NFL regular season: NFL annual statistics, official participation, Pro Football Archives; Pro Football Reference career totals. Passing rates were recalculated from the counting statistics.
- NFL playoffs: individual game logs, Football Database and official Jets/Patriots postseason records, linked beneath the tables. A roster place alone is not counted as an appearance.
- College: Miami’s official career table, 2025 Miami media guide, printed p. 171; NCAA career records and scope notes; Sports Reference for annual rushing; official Sugar and Fiesta Bowl records for the two documented bowl starts.
Prepared November 3, 2026. NFL statistics cover his completed 1987–2007 playing career. Regular-season, playoff and college bowl figures are presented separately. Historical records are described in their original time frame; no current statistical rank is implied.