Jets Unveil Throwback QB, Vinny By Pat Murray Niagara Gazette 10/13/05 The Buffalo Bills went back to their past with throwback uniforms earlier this season. Now, the New York Jets have gone back to their past with a throwback quarterback. Injuries to Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler in the same game left the Jets in search of a quarterback. They found their man on his couch on Long Island, and now 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde is back in the NFL. "I can't express to you how great it feels to be back out there," Testaverde said. "If you hang around long enough, you come back in style. Some of the clothes I have in my closet can attest to that." Testaverde, who thought his career was over after being released by the Dallas Cowboys at the end of last season, had a triumphant return to the NFL, leading the Jets to a 14-12 win over the previously unbeaten Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Testaverde was 13-of-19 for 163 yards with no touchdowns and one interception against one of the best defenses in the NFL. "Last week was one of those stories you write in Hollywood," Jets coach Herm Edwards said. "You couldn't ask for a better script." Testaverde, who made his NFL debut as a member of the Buccaneers on Dec. 6, 1987, didn't have to come back to the NFL, but he wanted to come back. "It had to be the right team and the right fit for me," Testaverde said. "I talked with some other teams, but the situation just didn't feel right." So now Testaverde is back with the Jets, the team he played for from 1998 through 2003. It couldn't be much more convenient for the former Heisman Trophy winner out of Miami. Testaverde's home in Elmont is just minutes away from the Jets' practice facility in Hempstead. "I never expected to be playing for the Jets again," Testaverde said. "I was actually on my couch watching the game when Pennington and Fiedler got hurt. Two days later, they signed me." Testaverde's teammates made sure there would be no ill effects from the layoff. "(Linebacker) Jonathan Vilma put a can of Rustoleum in my locker," Testaverde said. "He wanted to make sure I had no signs of rustiness." Testaverde doesn't believe the generation gap affects the way he plays. "It doesn't matter if you're 41 or if you're 21," he said. "On Sundays, you better show up." You can bet that Testaverde will do just that against the Bills this Sunday.