Testaverde and Wife of Nine Months Agree to Divorce Because of His Temper

Vinny Testaverde, quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said the breakup of his nine-month marriage has nothing to do with fame, money, jealousy or bitterness, but rather a longtime problem--his temper.

“I’ve been seeing a counselor because I have a temper, which I never wanted to believe was a problem,” said Testaverde, who married Laura Gambucci last June 11.

“I hoped it would be different. I kept thinking it would get better,” his wife said. “During the season, I just chose to ignore it . . . and not distract Vinny. But then after the season, it was just a little overwhelming.”

Vinny Testaverde filed for divorce Wednesday in Tampa, saying the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”

Testaverde insisted the tribulations he suffered on the field through two losing seasons were not to blame for the flareups, saying: “The season had nothing to do with it. The problems were there way before . . . “

The couple said the divorce was amicable and all claims against each other have been settled. They would not reveal the amount of a lump-sum alimony payment that was a condition of the settlement.

Testaverde, 25, met his wife in Tempe, Ariz., in January of 1987, when he was preparing for the Fiesta Bowl with the Miami Hurricanes.

His wife, an aerobics instructor, said she feared her husband at times and decided to end things before the situation got out of hand.

“It’s best to do this and not go on hurting each other,” Testaverde said.