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Yesterday's NFL Stars Take To Field For Fun

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By KEITH MORELLI

kmorelli@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

TAMPA - Where are they now?

A glimpse of some of the former NFL highlight-reel stars could be seen tonight on the turf again at the Tazon Latino III.

Vinny Testaverde, sporting a little bit of gray on the temples, played alongside Marcus Allen, Thurman Thomas and Tim Brown, on the Los Americanos team.

On the other side of the scrimmage line, the Los Nacionales had Warren Moon, who fired passes to the likes of Eric Dickerson and Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.

For a couple of hundred or so football fans who showed up at the NFL Experience just after sundown tonight, there was a little extra bang for their $18.50 (or $12.50, for kids).

Flag football was offered under a huge tent. The game was on a 40-yard field and mostly featured passes from Moon and Testaverde to various receivers. The seven-member teams, five of whom played at one time, included a wide variety of Latino celebrities, including Monica Noguera, Aylin Mujica, Mauricio Islas and Jencarlos Canela.

The game was lighthearted and there was no serious trash talking, cheap shots or late hits. There was a lot of cheering and good-natured kidding between these former high-stakes players.

The game was recorded and will be played on Telemundo on Saturday afternoon, said Darlene Capiro, spokeswoman for the event.

Ratings have kept the game coming back every year, taking place in NFL Experience area of wherever the Super Bowl is being held, she said.

"It's good enough for the NFL and Telemundo to allow us to continue this," she said.

There's no real competition here, she said. "It's just for fun."

Still, these athletes try to win. Dickerson dove for passes, and former placekicker Fuad Reviez hit the ground hard trying to score.

Testaverde himself had a wristband with plays laminated onto the back.

The former Tampa Bay Buccanneer, who just finished his career in 2007, brought along his own cheering section.

His wife, Mitzi, and his mother-in-law, Hilda Hodges, cheered in the bleachers, along with Testaverde's son, Vincent, and 6-year-old daughter, Madeleine.

"He's my dad," Madeleine shouted when asked how she was related.

Mitzi Testaverde said the game was a lot of fun to watch.

"And," she said, "we don't have to worry about him getting hurt."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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