Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Before I argue for Vinny Testaverde and why he deserves a place on this list, can we all take a second to appreciate how awesome his name is? Vincent is his true first name, but Testaverde was more affectionately known as “Vinny” throughout his NFL career. Reminds me of something out of The Godfather or another Italian mafia movie. Unfortunately, Vinny did not strike fear in his opposition quite like Al Pacino did.

When looking at Testaverde’s stats throughout his career, I am astonished by the sheer length of his tenure. He spent a total of 21 seasons in the NFL quarterbacking various teams, but the focus here is the six he spent in Tampa Bay from 1987 to1992.

Incredibly, Testaverde never led the team to a winning record, and consequently, finished his time with the Buccaneers having a losing record (although wins are not and should not be a quarterback stat).

Tampa Bay wasn’t the only stop in which Testaverde had a losing record. Actually, his 21 seasons produced an overall record of 90-123-1, including a mark of 24-48 with Tampa Bay.

Not trying to be negative, but on paper, things do not look great for Vinny. However, he is the franchise’s all-time leading passer with 14,820 yards so it is almost impossible to not include him in a list such as this.

In 1988, Testaverde threw for 3,240 yards, which included a ludicrous 35 interceptions, which is the second highest single-season mark behind George Blanda’s 42 with the 1962 Houston Oilers.

While it is easy to poke fun at Testaverde and rip his stats apart, he was a good quarterback for the team. He lasted a miraculous six seasons with the team, despite never having a winning season. Testaverde is the franchise’s leading passer for a reason, and he deserves recognition for his time with the Buccaneers.