Texas Tech QB Testaverde transferring to Miami where his dad played
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Vinny Testaverde won a Heisman Trophy at Miami. Now his son wants to be a quarterback for the Hurricanes.
Vincent Testaverde has applied to transfer from Texas Tech to Miami and is expected to be declared immediately eligible, despite appearing in one game this season for the Red Raiders. As a nonrecruited walk-on at Texas Tech, the typical rule decreeing he sits out one season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules wouldn't apply.
He left Texas Tech to be closer to his family's home in the Tampa, Florida, area -- and Miami jumped at the chance to welcome another Testaverde. Miami wanted to add another quarterback behind starter Brad Kaaya. Backups Jake Heaps and Ryan Williams have exhausted their eligibility, and reserve Malik Rosier will also be playing baseball this spring.
"I'm certainly very excited for obvious reasons," Vinny Testaverde told The Associated Press.
The school hasn't announced the move, presumably because Vincent Testaverde hasn't completed his enrollment. That process could be finished as early as Thursday.
Vincent Testaverde completed 15 of 26 passes against Texas in his lone Texas Tech appearance, before leaving earlier this month.
His father won the Heisman in 1986, his senior year at Miami.
"I think Miami is heading in the right direction," Vinny Testaverde said.
The Hurricanes were 6-7 this season and have a rising star at quarterback in Kaaya, plus they haven't won a bowl game since 2006. But Vinny Testaverde raved about the job Miami coach Al Golden has done, especially with an NCAA probe having clouded the program for most of his first three years in Coral Gables.
"Everybody wants to be Oregon and Florida State and Alabama and Ohio State and so on," Vinny Testaverde said. "They all want to be there, contending for a national championship. But there's a process that has to take place. I know some don't allow that process to happen. But from what I can see, everything the program has gone through takes a toll.
"Now that's cleared, and I'm anxious to see what Coach Golden is going to do."
Testaverde said when he was a high school coach, he knew of recruits who dismissed Miami from consideration quickly because of the fear of NCAA sanctions. The NCAA case was resolved in the fall of 2013.
"I hope people see if I'm allowing my son to go (there) under the tutelage of Al and his staff, it speaks to what I believe in as far as what Al is doing there," Vinny Testaverde said. "You're not going to allow your kid to go into a bad situation. I want my son to go there. He wants to go there."
Vinny Testaverde still ranks fifth on Miami's career passing list with 6,058 yards, and is tied for fourth with 48 touchdown throws. He went on to play 21 NFL seasons, his total of 46,233 yards passing still ranks ninth-best in league history.
And now his son is going to follow along the same path. The younger Testaverde plans to wear No. 14 at Miami, his father's retired jersey.
"I hope we can make that happen," Vinny Testaverde said.
