College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner
By Brad Weiss
23. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Vinny Testaverde, Miami Hurricanes football
During the 1980s and 1990s, the University of Miami Hurricanes were arguably the best program in all of college football. With rosters that were loaded with NFL talent, the Hurricanes were not only putting an excellent team on the field, but they were also must-see TV, and during that time, created one heck of a strong quarterback dynasty.
Guys like Bernie Kosar, Jim Kelly, and Craig Erickson dominated the college football landscape, as did Vinny Testaverde, who comes in as our No. 23-ranked Heisman Trophy winner of all-time. While Testaverde did not put up the gaudy numbers that some of the quarterbacks ranked lower than him on this list did, he was the best quarterback in the country for a two-year span, leading the Hurricanes 21-2 record before their loss to Penn State in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
In that game, Testaverde threw five interceptions as the Hurricanes lost 14-10, though he would still go on to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 1987 NFL Draft. For the year, Testaverde threw for over 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns, while also rushing in four, and he had led the Hurricanes to a No. 1 ranking before losing to the Nittany Lions.
Across his career, he threw for over 6,000 yards as the starter, tossing nearly 50 touchdown passes and would eventually be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Testaverde ended up carving out a 21-year career in the NFL and was a key to one of the greatest dynasties in the history of college football.