Vinny Testaverde meant to retire 14 years ago but never got around to it. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made him the first overall pick in the 1987 draft, he and rookie wide receiver Mark Carrier, a third-round choice, set a goal to play for 10 seasons.
"My goal was to play until I was 30," Testaverde said via cellphone Wednesday afternoon. "After 10 years, Mark said he wanted to play two more seasons, and I thought I had five more in me...Well, at least one of us stuck with the plan."
Testaverde, who turns 44 next month, thought his only chance of another comeback would be with the Patriots, the team that picked him up late last season and then released him Sept 2.
But when Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart went down with a broken left collarbone against the Rams on Oct. 7, head coach Ken Whisenhunt found a number for Testaverde.
He initially agreed to a one-year contract with the Cardinals but then had second thoughts about being so far away from his family on Long Island. He called Whisenhunt on Tuesday morning to tell him he couldn't do it.
"It was weighing heavy on my heart," he said. "It was too far to fly the kids out for a visit, and I ended up calling him back and saying I had to back out."
Needing to relieve some stress, Testaverde went directly to the gym inside his 13,000-square-foot Oyster Bay Cover mansion and began his daily weightlifting regimen, which has never been conducive to retirement.
"That's just my lifestyle," he said. "We take the kids to school and then we work out. It's a great stress reliever."
His workout, though, was interrupted by a call from the Panthers, and by the following afternoon, he was firing passes at the club's practice facility. The trip from New York to Charlotte was much more palatable, but in a strange twist, the Panthers next opponent was Arizona.
With Jake Delhomme out for the year with an elbow injury and Carr probably out with back issues, Testaverde made his first start since November 2005. As you all know by now, he was 20-for-33 for 206 yards and a touchdown in leading the Panthers to a 25-10 victory.
Asked if his wife Mitzi, a former Bucs cheerleader, tried to talk him out of returning, Testaverde said, "She supported me all the way. She told me I didn't have much longer to do it."
Riiiight.
Testaverde said hearing quarterbacks talk about how they regretted not playing a couple more years is one of the reasons he keeps answering the call.
"Once guys get a year off, it's hard to come back," he said. "It's something I love to do. If you truly love doing something, there's usually some type of risk involved. But as long as I can continue to contribute, I'll keep coming back."
Another reason is because his three kids think it's the coolest thing in the world to have a quarterbacking dad.
"I get a sense that they're really proud of it," Testaverde said. "I'm one of only 32 players in the world that can be a starter, and that means you're one of the best."
Testaverde's the rare former star who's completely comfortable with a backup role as long as he feels needed. He started the first six games of 2003 with the Jets when Chad Pennington had a wrist injury, but when Pennington returned, Testaverde didn't feel like he was helping the team anymore.
"When I was younger, I wanted to be the guy," he said. "But you realize there are guys physically better than you. It's OK to want to be a role player or a backup as long as you're contributing. I asked the Jets to let me go in 2003 because they weren't using my experience. I didn't want to collect paychecks."
In fact, Testaverde's the last guy who needs to collect a paycheck. He and John Madden were on the ground floor of the Outback Steakhouse chain, and he's sacked away millions through other business ventures. Even though he's embarrassed by it, his family's new home in Florida was featured in the Tampa Tribune. He somehow talked the realtors down to $4.5 million.
"I'm a pretty simple guy," he said, quickly realizing how ridiculous it sounded.
He pointed to his current abode, a Residence Inn in downtown Charlotte, and noted his only expectations are "clean towels, clean sheets and someone to make my bed."
"That's my castle," he joked.
Testaverde still has no clue who some of his teammates are. He had to use the "hey, you!" approach several times during Sunday's game, but he's planning to take a media guide home this weekend since the Panthers have a bye.
Teammates have already started calling him "Grandpa" and "Pops," but his favorite is "Uncle Vin."
"For some reason, I think that one's very appropriate," he said.
Asked which player named him that, Testaverde paused before saying, "I can't recall the guy's name."
He said players have changed quite a bit during the 21 years he's been in the league. There's a sense of entitlement that bothers him.
"But when I was in the huddle Sunday, I could tell they were ready to follow me."
Of all the calls he received after Sunday's win, the one that meant the most came from his former Jets and Cowboys coach.
Bill Parcells called the Testaverde home Sunday night and left word with Mitzi to make sure Vinny did his running Monday.
"A quarterback has to keep his legs strong," Testaverde said. "My wife emailed and called immediately to make sure I got Bill's message. I love Bill because that's how much he cares about my career."
It's funny. Neither guy is worth a damn at retiring.
(Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
