Vinny Testaverde Starts

Lore & Background

Testaverde was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and grew up a fan of the New York Jets. He attended Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, New York, and Fork Union Military Academy. In 1998, his first season with the Jets, he began the season as the second-string quarterback behind starter Glenn Foley. After Foley's rib injury in Week 2, Testaverde became the starter. He went 12–1 in 13 games as a starter, completing 61.5% of his passes with 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 101.6 quarterback rating, making the Pro Bowl for the second time.

Reader's Guide

Testaverde's first start for the Jets was against the Indianapolis Colts, not the San Francisco 49ers. In that start, he threw four touchdown passes. His record in 1998 was 12–1 as a starter, but he started 13 games total (including the Week 1 loss), so the 12–1 record refers to his starts after Week 1. The NFL had already voted to reinstate instant replay in March 1998, before the controversial play against the Seahawks in December 1998.

Did You Know?

• Testaverde threw more than 20 interceptions in four of his 21 seasons; during his second season with the Buccaneers, he threw 35 interceptions.
• He holds the NFL records for losses as a starting quarterback (123) and lowest career regular-season winning percentage for any quarterback with at least 70 wins (42.3%).
• Testaverde scored the first touchdown in the history of the Baltimore Ravens on a nine-yard run.