Tag Archives: tampa bay buccaneers

NFL

Walsh, Steve

Card: Score 1990
Acquired: In Person 1990, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

When Troy Aikman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the overall #1 pick in 1989, it didn’t take them long to make waves by grabbing Steve Walsh with their supplemental #1 pick soon thereafter, as Walsh was Dallas’ head coach Jimmy Johnson‘s quarterback at Miami. Walsh and Aikman duked it out for much of the season with Walsh (,not Aikman,) winning the lone game for the team that year- a snoozer against the Washington Redskins. The victory however didn’t figure into the team’s decision to keep him, and Walsh ended up being traded for a few draft choices to the New Orleans Saints after training camp in 1990.  The Saints, were looking to play hardball with encumbent quarterback Bobby Herbert. As Herbert returned to the lineup, Walsh saw his time decrease, but Walsh ended up having the his best season of his career there playing for the Saints a year later in 1991, starting 7 games and throwing for 11 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. After a forgettable 1992 and 1993 though, Walsh was sent packing and signed with the Chicago Bears where he was reuntied with an old familiar coach- Dave Wannastedt, the former defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. He’d take over as backup quarterback under Erik Kramer (who happened to be replacing Jim Harbaugh). Kramer would be injured and Walsh would run the show, under a well-managed, albeit conservative game plan, helping shepherd the Bears into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d throw for 2,000+ yards and 10 touchdowns starting 11 games that season for the Bears, but with the 1994 season out of the way, he inexplicably would not start another game in Chicago or throw for anymore touchdowns in his career. After a forgettable 1996 with the Rams, Walsh played 1997 and 1998 with the Buccaneers throwing 4 more picks, before closing out his career with the Colts in 1999 with 2 more and retire. Since football, Walsh has gotten involved at the high school level and coaches football in Florida.

G/Gs  80/38     Att 1317    Comp 713   Yds 7875   Pct 54.1%   Td 40   Int  50  Rat  66.4

NFL

Scott, Todd

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, C/o The Minnesota Vikings

Todd Scott was a Galveston, Tx native who wasn’t recruited locally- so he went out of the state to Louisiana-Lafayette where he’d make an impact playing football in that tiny community. He’d rank first in career punt return yardage with 553 (10th nationally all time) and played in the Blue-Gray game in 1990.

The Vikings, needing to train a protege to veteran Joey Browner took a flyer on the young player in the 6th round of the 1991 draft. Scott started just one game in 1991 and made 33 tackles, but in 1992 he’d start all 16 games after Browner left via free agency, making 5 interceptions and 73 tackles. (These marks would be career highs.) Todd was also named to the Pro Bowl that season as well. In 1994 Scott earned All-Madden team honors, but found himself on the  street in 1995, playing for both the New York Jets for 10 games and Tampa Bay for 1 contest. He’d continue to play in Tampa Bay briefly in 1996 and then Kansas City in 1997 where he retired after a few injury plagued years.

A really intelligent player in coverage Scott is most well known by Minnesota fans for a pick 6 he made against the Bears in 1992. Scott backed off runningback Neal Anderson to give quarterback Jim Harbaugh the impression that he was going to allow for a big reception out of the backfield. Harbaugh bit, audibled, and Scott returned the interception for 35 yards and a touchdown.

Most recently in 2010, Scott was inducted into the Lousiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun’s Hall of Fame.

G/Gs 84/55      Tac 265     Sac 1   Fum 2
Int 7     Yds 105      Avg 15.0     Td  1   Lg 35T

Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Testaverde, Vinny

Cards: Action Packed 1992, ProSet 1991 Heisman Hero
Acquired: TTM 1992, C/o The Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vinny Testaverde was a Heisman Trophy winner while at the University of Miami in 1986 under head coach Jimmy Johnson. He’d declare as a Junior and enter into the 1987 NFL draft following the season. Testaverde would go #1 to the Buccaneers and would start 4 games during his rookie season. In 1988 he’d take over full time as the starter, to disasterous results, throwing for a modern day record of 35 interceptions and a 48.8 quarterback rating. (The 35 were the most since George Blanda from the AFL threw 42.) The good news was he was playing in Tampa- so nobody cared or had big expectations. Testaverde was also fortunate not to play in an age with an aggressive media, as quarterbacks are normally now given 3 seasons and are sent packing. Vinny would never, in 6 seasons with the Bucs, throw for more touchdowns than interceptions, nor win more than 6 games in a season. To say the least, nobody was really surprised when Vinny was allowed to leave Tampa. He’d sign with the Browns in 1993 and immediately turn his career around. His touchdown to interception ratio would flip, and he’d also post his first winning mark in 1994 with a 9-4 record, and transition with the Browns to Baltimore. Testaverde would also become better at making decisions, and despite Baltimore posting a 4-12 record in 1996, he’d throw for a career high 33 touchdowns and only 19 interceptions. After the 1997 season, he’d sign with the Jets and playing under Bill Parcells, would post a 12-1 record, and throw only 7 picks in 421 throws, making him a crowd favorite.  Injury would curtail his 1999 season, but he’d be back in 2000 leading the league in attempts with 590 throws, but also with 25 interceptions. After a pretty decent 2001 season in which he went 10-6, Testaverde would only start spottingly over the next 2 seasons, before he signed at the ripe age of 41 in 2004 with the Cowboys- and his old coach Bill Parcells. He’d lead the league in interceptions with 20, and then resign again with the Jets in 2005 where he hung on for the season playing in 6 games.  In 2006, he’d play a season for the Patriots, and then finally get his wings and retire in 2007 as a backup for the Carolina Panthers at 44 years old, the second oldest quarterback in league history to take a snap. On the last play of the season he ran in and kneeled he ball to end the game, ironically on the home field of the team he started with- Tampa Bay.

I got Vinny Testaverde’s autograph through the mail from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the last season he was with the team. I also had his Starting Lineup action figure as well in that awesome candy orange. Vinny Testaverde is also color blind. It’s interesting to see how Vinny’s career ended up progressing. The franchise quarterback, turns into a hired gunslinger, then becomes a fan favorite and then an aged journeyman. In the end, even though he didn’t do it all right, Testaverde did have a somewhat storied career. The furthest he’d ever advance was the championship game while setting the modern NFL record for most losses by an NFL quarterback at 123. He also holds the NFL record: for throwing touchdowns to 70 different players and in 21 straight seasons. While his legacy remains clouded and his career ended up better than advertised, Testaverde will always be remembered for his tenacity and willingness to play through adversity.

G/Gs 233/214      Att 6701    Comp 3787   Pct 56.5     Yds 46233      Td 275   Int 267   Rat 75.0