COLLEGE FOOTBALL: THE BOWL GAMES : Testaverde Earns Gift for Father : Pro football: The quarterback will give his game ball to his dad, who was unable to watch him play because of doctors’ orders to avoid stress.

While walking off the Cleveland Municipal Stadium field Sunday beneath a shower of praise, Vinny Testaverde paid attention only to those he could not hear.

And his thoughts were with the one man he could not see.

He pointed up to the seats that contained 21 members of his family, including his mother and four sisters.

And his mind shifted to his father, Al, who was not in those seats.

Testaverde wasn’t sure where he was.

“He was somewhere in Cleveland, I know that,” Testaverde said. “Maybe in a shopping mall. Maybe in a church. Somewhere.”

Al Testaverde would love to be watching his son. But there is concern that it would kill him.

Vinny said that since suffering a “mild” heart attack several years ago, Al has been under doctors’ orders to avoid activities involving great stress.

Activities such as watching his only son get chased around by 300-pound men.

In fact, he has yet to attend any of his son’s games in Vinny’s eight years as a pro.

Al would have been proud to witness the Browns’ 20-13 first-round playoff victory Sunday, because his son mostly avoided those big guys.

In his best game as a pro, Testaverde completed 20 of 30 passes for 268 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions.

“I wish my Dad could have seen it,” Testaverde said slowly. “But that’s just the way it is.”

Al accompanied the family to Cleveland from their Long Island, N.Y., home on Friday. He was expected to be waiting with one of the first hugs at a postgame party late Sunday.

Testaverde said he would tell his father about the game then give him a gift.

What’s the next best thing to being there? How about receiving the game ball?

“Yeah, it’s going to my Dad,” he said after carefully carrying the ball off the field.

For while his father may not watch him in person, Testaverde said Al was his greatest coach.

“He never actually coached my team,” Testaverde said. “But he did more important things, like teach about how to handle winning and losing. He was always proud of me whether I won or lost.

“He and my family, they are the ones who stuck beside me through everything. They are the ones I thank the most.”

Testaverde’s teammates also stuck beside him before Sunday’s game--even if they had grit their teeth to offer support of the league’s 22nd-ranked quarterback.

Brown safety Eric Turner even called Testaverde aside earlier this week for a pep talk.

“I just told him, ‘ You take control of the game today,’ ” Turner said. “I told him, ‘Don’t let the game control you. If it’s there, pull the trigger. If it’s not, don’t. Whatever you do, we’re behind you.’ ”

Turner said the team worried that Testaverde’s six-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had forced him to feel like he had to make a big play, every play.

“I wanted him to know that we believed in him as our quarterback, and that he didn’t have to do anything special,” Turner said.

Of course, that’s just what a relaxed Testaverde did.

“Hearing him say all that gave me a good feeling, a warm feeling,” Testaverde said.

In 30-degree temperatures, that feeling came through. Al Testaverde should have seen it. Once he gets that ball in his hands, maybe he will.