Ranking every Buccaneers starting quarterback since 1990
By Josh Hill
48. . . 10. player. Vinny Testaverde. Vinny. 1987-1992. 14-25 | 39 TDs, 46 INTs. Vinny Testaverde
Testaverde was the first quarterback after Doug Williams who was supposed to be The Guy, coming out of the famed University of Miami dynasty in 1987. We're focusing specifically on his 90s career in Tampa Bay, which ended up being the last three seasons he spent with the team between 1990 and 1992.
Over that time, Testaverde battled injuries and missed time which ended up leading to his departure prior to the 1993 season. This was an abysmal period for the Bucs, as it was the thick of their playoff drought and the football was just plain bad. Testaverde scrounged up 14 wins in three seasons but his play ended up improving in his final years with the team. During his last season with the Bucs, Testaverde -- a guy Gene Upshaw once said was so dumb he'd drag n electric chord through a swimming pool -- put up 2,554 yards, 14 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 57.7 percent completion percentage.
He never fulfilled the prophecy of being the No. 1 overall pick, but he did set in motion a cursed torch that another No. 1 overall pick would carry. One of the lasting legacies of Testaverde is how much of an interception machine he was, leading the league at various points in his career with the Bucs, something Jameis Winston would pay tribute to decades later.