A Great Ride Comes To An End Joe Henderson, The Tampa Tribune, published 31 December 2007 Just 35 seconds remained in Sunday's game when Vinny Testaverde trotted onto the field. That's when the cheers began, and it was perfect symmetry. The final curtain call of Testaverde's 21-year career played out in the city where it began, to applause instead of boos that used to cascade from the seats at the mention of his name. It was as if everyone finally got it. Testaverde is a class act. He endured. And as he took a knee on that final play and headed finally and forever into retirement, he left the NFL on his terms, head high and proud. ''I can't help but think back when I was a kid and used to go out into my back yard with my buddies and pretend I was guys like Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, and Mean Joe Greene,'' he said. ''I used to dream about being an NFL player. It's hard to believe I played so long.'' Can it really be that many years since Testaverde came to Tampa Bay as a rookie from the University of Miami? That was in 1987 and the Bucs had made him the first pick of the draft, even though they had future Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young on the roster. They told Vinny to work a miracle with a forlorn franchise. Through six combustible seasons, he did the best he could, which often wasn't good enough to suit the caustic wits or the paying public. Some of the treatment he got here was really savage, to be honest, and most of it was unfair and over the top. Not that he ever let us know if it bothered him. ''I enjoyed just about every minute of it,'' he said. He'll just be Squire Vinny now, living the life of a 44-year-old retiree in Keystone in a 7,090-square foot house he purchased in August for $4.5 million. He said he might like to work with athletes on fitness and things like that, or maybe coach his son's peewee team. ''It's been a great ride,'' he said. ''I'm at peace with this.'' He never made it to the Super Bowl but Vincent Frank Testaverde did just about everything else one could on an NFL field. Sunday was his 233rd game for eight teams. He threw 275 touchdowns. Everyone remembers that brutal 1988 season when he threw 35 interceptions for a really bad Bucs team, but after that he had only three more seasons when he threw as many as 20 picks. The thing about Vinny went far beyond numbers, though. There was a quiet grace about him, even when surrounded by hysteria. ''No matter what, even through everything, he is a gentleman and always will be,'' said his wife of 16 years, Mitzi. She's a Tampa girl and former Swash-buc-ler. They met at a team function while he was with the Bucs. She remembers thinking, ''He was real quiet. He was not a stereotypical player, not like people would think.'' But that quiet guy also became a giant to other players. After he joined the Panthers in midseason, he became a mentor to young quarterback Matt Moore, who started Sunday's game. ''A great player and even better person,'' Moore said. And Jeff Garcia, who has been around this NFL block a few times himself, noted, ''He outlived many players who have stepped on the field. That's a tribute to him and the work ethic he has and has been able to maintain. He has been an excellent ambassador for this league.'' Testaverde lingered on the field for a few minutes after that final snap, surrounded by TV cameras and outstretched hands from well-wishers. He joked about changing his phone number in case another team tries to call. He hugged Mitzi. Somebody asked him about ending it all here where it began. ''A little ironic,'' he said. And then he said it was time ''to enjoy the rest of my life'' and he was off, trotting toward the tunnel in the north end zone. Fans were waiting with one final salute, one more cheer. Yeah, he liked that. ''It has flown by pretty fast,'' he said. But it's time to go for good. He knows that. His body began to rebel against the rigors of the game this year and age eventually catches us all. Not everyone gets a sendoff like this, though, not from this game. You could say football owed him that much. ''Last time I was here there was a little more booing,'' he said with a grin. ''They were cheering a little bit for me today and I appreciate it. It was a great way to go out and end my career. I really appreciated the applause they gave me running into the tunnel one last time. There are good people here. I'm glad to be coming back.''