Vinny Testaverde to be Inducted into College Football HOF Today

NEW YORK – Miami Hurricanes great and 1986 Heisman Trophy winning QB Vinny Testaverde will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday at the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria. The 56th NFF Annual Awards Ceremonies will be streamed live beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN3 and footballfoundation.org.

Testaverde will become seventh Miami Hurricane player and 10th overall to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame – Bennie Blades (2006), Don Bosseler (1990), Andy Gustafson (1985), Jack Harding (1980), Ted Hendricks (1987), Jimmy Johnson (2012), Russell Maryland (2011), Gino Torretta (2009) and Arnold Tucker (2008).

Testaverde is one of 14 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2013 class includes: Ted Brown (NC State), Tedy Bruschi (Arizona), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), Tommie Frazier (Nebraska), Jerry Gray (Texas), Steve Meilinger (Kentucky), Orlando Pace (Ohio State), Rod Shoate (Oklahoma), Percy Snow (Michigan State), Don Trull (Baylor), Danny Wuerffel (Florida), and coaches Wayne Hardin (Navy, Temple) and Bill McCartney (Colorado).

One of the greatest quarterbacks in school history, Testaverde was Miami’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1986, while also winning the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Trophy. He led the Hurricanes to three bowl berths, including the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, which determined the national champion. Testaverde, who was a redshirt on Miami’s 1983 national championship team, went 23-3 as a starter playing for legendary coaches Howard Schnellenberger and Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson.

Tampa Bay selected Testaverde as the No. 1 overall selection in the 1987 NFL Draft, and his pro career spanned 21 seasons with seven different teams. The 1998 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection finished his NFL career seventh all-time in passing yards (46,233) and eighth in touchdowns (275).

The Elmont, N.Y., native currently resides in Florida where he plays an active role with the Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa. Testaverde remains among only four Hurricanes to have their jerseys retired at Miami.

No. 25 Miami (9-3, 5-3 ACC) will play No. 18/16 Louisville (11-1, 7-1 AAC) in the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Tickets, which are priced at $77 and $82, can be purchased through the UM Ticket Office online, in-person at BankUnited Center (M-F, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.) or by phone at 1-800-GO-CANES.

MIAMI HURRICANES INDUCTED INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
1980 – Jack Harding, coach
1985 – Andy Gustafson, coach
1987 – Ted Hendricks, LB
1990 – Don Bosseler, FB
2006 – Bennie Blades, DB
2008 – Arnold Tucker, QB
2009 – Gino Torretta, QB
2011 – Russell Maryland, DT
2012 – Jimmy Johnson, coach
2013 – Vinny Testaverde, QB


(hurricanesports.com)