This is a sad day for true football fans everywhere. A man upon men, a legend, is retiring.

Behold, Vinny Testaverde:

Vinny Testaverde is 44 years old. At 43 he became the oldest starting NFL quarterback to win a game when he took over the starting position for the much-injured Carolina Panthers. He’s thrown a touchdown pass in 20 consecutive seasons, more than any other QB in history. He’s played for seven different NFL teams. He’s also thrown TD passes to a record 71 different players.

He won the Heisman in 1986. Many NFL players weren’t even born then. About half of the guys who have won the trophy since have already retired from pro football.

His Carolina teammates call him “Dad.”

You know six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, but have you tried six degrees of separation from Vinny Testaverde?

Sad day, modern peeps. Sad day.

Postscript: Ironically, Vinny’s last game will be Carolina’s visit to Tampa Bay, the place where he started his NFL career.