Football 10/28/2013 1:00:00 PM

2013 Hall of Famer: Vinny Testaverde

VINNY TESTAVERDE

Quarterback

Miami, Fla.

1982, 1984-86

· Claimed the 1986 Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp, Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards.
· Completed 61.3 percent of his passes during his college career.
· Becomes the sixth Miami player to be elected into the Hall of Fame and one of only four Hurricanes to have their jerseys retired.
· A member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society, which is the highest academic honor at the school.

Vinny Testaverde was part of one of the greatest quarterback logjams in the history of college football. In 1982, long before the University of Miami Hurricanes became know as “The U,” Miami had quarterbacks Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Mark Richt and Testaverde on the roster.

Testaverde, the same age as Kosar, wouldn’t get his shot at starting at Miami until 1985 as a junior. But two seasons were enough time for him to register a Heisman Trophy season that served as a launching pad for a 21-year NFL career with seven different teams.

“Jim was the starter when I got there as a freshman,” Testaverde recalled to Pat O’Brien on Fox Sports Radio. “And then Bernie had won the starting job in 1983. So I am sitting there thinking about transferring to go to another school and have a chance to play somewhere. Bernie actually graduated earlier, but prior to him doing all that he let me know he was going to leave school earlier and enter the supplemental draft, and that’s what made me stay at Miami.”

After redshirting in 1983 when Miami won the national title, Testaverde was a backup to Kosar in 1984. Then, when he assumed the starting quarterback role during the 1985 and 1986 seasons, Miami fashioned a 23-3 record and played in two New Year’s Day bowls. By the time he was finished, Testaverde had passed for 6,058 yards and 48 scores, mostly under Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson from 1984-86.

“I can remember Vinny losing his first start against Florida (in 1985) and the devastation that he felt,” Johnson wrote in his NFF nomination letter of Testaverde. “He used that loss as motivation and never allowed his teammates to taste defeat in another regular season game. He was the leader on the Miami team that launched the 58-game home winning streak at the Orange Bowl.”

Testaverde’s senior season in 1986 was particularly outstanding when he claimed the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp, Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards. During that season, Miami upset top-ranked Oklahoma 28-16 at the Orange Bowl to become No. 1 and remained there through an unbeaten regular season before falling to Penn State, 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl.

The next spring, Tampa Bay selected Testaverde as the first overall pick of the 1987 NFL Draft. He finished is pro career with 46,233 yards passing and 275 touchdowns, both among the top eight on the NFL career charts at the time of his retirement.

“I was blessed to coach quite a few quarterbacks people remember,” wrote former Hurricanes coach Howard Schnellenberger, who recruited and coached Testaverde early on at Miami. “I honestly believe that Vinny was the best all-around quarterback among them, and I don’t think any of the others would be mad at me for saying so.”

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