Testaverde Named to ACC's 2009 Legends Class

Former quarterback Vinny Testaverde has been named by the Atlantic Coast Conference as the University of Miami's representative in its Class of 2009 Dr Pepper Football Championship Game Legends. Testaverde, a Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame member at UM, headlines the 12-member group announced by the league on Wednesday that also includes former Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke and one of the winningest head coaches in league history in Clemson's Danny Ford.

The Legends will be honored at this year's Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will appear at the ACC Coaches and Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, Dec. 4, and will be honored at the "ACC Night of Legends" held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay on Friday evening. They will also be recognized during pre-game ceremonies at Raymond James Stadium for the 5th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has an 8 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 5 and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The group of 12 former gridiron standouts from current ACC schools includes three former ACC Players of the Year, seven former All-Americas, nine players who combined for 79 years of professional football experience and 10 who were drafted into the National Football League including two first-round picks and the No. 1 choice in the 1987 draft (Testaverde).

In all, the collection of players and coaches combined to capture two national championships, one NFL World Championship and 15 ACC team titles.

Testaverde, who now lives just outside Tampa in Odessa, Fla., became Miami's first Heisman Trophy winner, claiming the 1986 Trophy. In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Hurricanes, Testaverde led Miami to a 21-1 record including a 28-16 upset triumph over then-No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in 1986 in the Orange Bowl. That year he was named a consensus All-America and also earned the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards and the Davey O'Brien Award. The first selection in the 1987 NFL Draft, Testaverde went on to a 21-year career in the National Football League with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Baltimore, the New York Jets, Dallas, New England and Carolina, throwing for 46,233 yards and 275 touchdown passes.



(hurricanesports.com)