Warren Sapp may never work in television again, not because networks are wary of him, but because he’ll be too busy doing community service.

According to the Associated Press, the Hall of Famer avoided any jail time with a plea deal in the Las Vegas domestic violence case stemming from a scuffle with his girlfriend. Two more misdemeanor domestic violence charges were dismissed.

Sapp pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor domestic violence charge. He was fined $345 and ordered him to pay $2,555 in restitution, log 48 hours of community service and get six months of counseling. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim, and faces six months in jail if he violates the terms of the deal.

Sapp was charged in June with knocking his then-girlfriend down, biting her finger and stepping on her head in an altercation that began at a resort pool.

Coupled with the Super Bowl weekend prostitution bust in Arizona, it’s likely we’ve seen the last of Sapp on television, unless Court TV wants to turn him into a reality series.


(profootballtalk.com)

Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp won’t have to serve jail time in Arizona on charges stemming from his February arrest in a prostitution case, a judge ruled this week.

Prosecutors in Phoenix had wanted the former Tampa Bay Buccanners star incarcerated, believing Sapp’s June arrest on domestic battery charges in Nevada violated terms of a plea deal.

However, according to TMZ, the judge said Monday that Sapp had completed the terms of the plea deal before the Nevada arrest. Charges were dropped.

Sapp was arrested Feb. 2 on charges of assault and soliciting a prostitute at a Phoenix hotel. In April, Sapp pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges and was ordered to pay restitution and take two classes: a prostitution-solicitation diversion program and an anger-management course, according to TMZ.

According to the report, Sapp’s lawyer informed the judge his client had completed terms of the agreement.

Sapp, a member of the Bucs Ring of Honor, was fired by NFL Network after the February arrest, which occurred during Super Bowl weekend.

In June, Sapp was arrested on three charges of misdemeanor domestic battery after an April 28 incident involving his girlfriend at a resort in Henderson, Nevada, a Las Vegas suburb.


(tbo.com)

Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who has had his own run-ins with the law, says he is worried about his friend Warren Sapp.

"Absolutely I am," Irvin said on the Dan LeBatard Show on Miami radio. "I worry about him, man. There's no doubt. I worry about him a lot and I tell him that."

Sapp was has been charged with three counts of domestic violence after allegedly biting and stomping his longtime girlfriend's head. His solicitation charge, stemming from an arrest during Super Bowl weekend, was dismissed last month.

"I'm texting him all the time and a guy alway goes, 'man, I'm good man, I'm good, it ain't nothing" Irvin said. "You always say that, but you worry."

Sapp, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle, is due in court on July 23.


(nydailynews.com)

Removed from his perch at NFL Network and from the public spotlight, Warren Sapp still can’t avoid troubles that drag his name through the muck.

The Hall of Fame defensive tackle reportedly has been charged with three counts of domestic violence stemming from an April incident in Las Vegas during which he allegedly bit his longtime girlfriend and stomped on her head.

According to TMZ, Sapp — last seen being arrested on charges of solicitation and assault while covering the Super Bowl in Phoenix — was involved in a lengthy fight with Chalyce Moore at the M Resort on April 28.

The police report states Sapp threw a margarita in her face at the resort before the two drove to Moore’s condo.

Moore allegedly told Sapp to exit the car, at which time he bit her middle finger. The violence only escalated when they arrived at her home.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, Moore, after throwing a belt at Sapp, ended up on the floor. The 42-year-old Sapp then stomped on her face with his sandal-clad feet. The checkerboard pattern on the sole, according to Moore’s friend’s statement to police, was imprinted on Moore’s temple.

Moore’s litany of injuries, according to her friend’s statement: a lower-lip bruise, shoulder and leg bruises and a stiff neck. Moore also vomited after the fight, leading the friend to believe Moore suffered a concussion.

After his 13-year NFL career, Sapp had latched on to a cushy NFL Network gig as an analyst, but was canned after his Super Bowl arrest. The former superstar, who racked up 96.5 sacks in his storied career, is due in court July 23.


(nypost.com)

Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp nearly joined their former Miiami Hurricanes teammate Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in the ring at Wrestlemania several years back.

Johnson, who is reliving his football days in the new HBO show 'Ballers,' told Dan Patrick on his radio show last week that both Lewis and Sapp came close to partaking in a tag-team match, perhaps along with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. 

"We'd gotten very close with having a big match, bringing in Ray Lewis," Johnson said. "And we were gonna have a big tag-team match with myself, Ray Lewis as tag-team partners against whoever the top heels were at the time."

Johnson added that scheduling hurdles couldn't be overcome with the two future Hall of Famers, but noted that both would have been naturals in the ring. 

"Both those guys would've done great in the ring," Johnson said. "And just really, really exceptional athletes."

You can catch the full spot here via The Dan Patrick Show. 




(foxsports.com)

Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, is a wrestling legend and an entertainment icon in Hollywood, but before all of that, he was a Miami Hurricanes football player.

Johnson was lucky enough to be a part of a great Hurricanes squad in Dennis Erickson's first class. He played with Jessie Armstead, Gino Torretta, Mike Barrow, Darryl Williams, Ray Lewis. Also on the list? Warren Sapp.

Johnson's first run-in with Sapp was a memorable one and The Rock shared the behind-the-scenes backstory with Dan Patrick on Friday.

Sapp, who originally came to Miami as a tight end, made the move to the defensive line in spring practice. During his first defensive line meeting Sapp told Johnson "I'm taking your spot."

"Like true defensive linemen would do, full of ego, especially down at Miami because we all talked trash, I said 'Well, you ain't taking my spot,'" Johnson told Patrick "Then about six months later, he took my spot."

Johnson also discussed which former Hurricanes teammate would've made a great wrestler, as well as his new HBO show "Ballers," which premieres Sunday, June 21 at 10 p.m. ET.




(sportingnews.com)

EGG HARBOR CITY, N.J. ‐ With that trademark chuckle, ex-NFL star Warren Sapp laughed off the idea that he misses talking football after being fired by the NFL Network earlier this year. Sapp insisted he still talks football every day of his life, and more than he'd probably like.

It's just not in front of the camera and in the public eye these days after Sapp lost his job following a post-Super Bowl arrest in Phoenix, Ariz. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle was charged with soliciting a prostitute and assault in February. He reportedly accepted a deal where he plead guilty "to one count of solicitation and one count of assault and in exchange he must complete 2 counseling programs."

Asked Monday at Ron Jaworski's Celebrity Golf Challenge, what is in his future, Sapp replied in a hushed tone, "Live one day at a time."

Is everything going good so far?

"One day at a time," he said.

Does he desire to one day get back in the public spotlight and resume what was once a promising career?

"I haven't desired anything in a long time, my man," said Sapp, who received a direct invite from Jaworski to the event (where half the proceeds go to the NFL Alumni Association) and immediately accepted.

Sapp's employment status hasn't kept him away from the game completely. He remains in tune with what is going on around the league.

He's been following the offseason closely. It doesn't mean he's been able to figure out the NFC East. That remains an enigma after an offseason filled with drama and personnel moves.

"I have no idea what the hell Chip Kelly is doing," Sapp said emphatically, his voice finally reaching its seemingly normal tone. "The Giants, I have no idea what they're doing because they're still looking for linemen, I think. And the Cowboys, they're always going to be the Cowboys. Haha. That will be fun. The East will be tough."

Sapp's uncertainty with the Giants stems almost exclusively on their offensive line. He questions whether they can run the ball consistently.

And if there is one thing Sapp seems certain about, it's how the Giants want to operate.

"I know Coughlin. He's going to want to run the ball," Sapp said.

The Giants didn't run the ball last season. That was not lost on Sapp. They finished 23rd in the NFL at just over 100 yards per game.  

"Like I said, [Coughlin's] going to want to run the ball. That is the key for him," Sapp said. "As complex and wide open as you think it is, turn around and hand it off if you want to win a football game if you can dominate the line of scrimmage.

"Coughlin is from that old school. I know that for a fact."

Finally, there was a glimpse of the Warren Sapp that spent seven years as an analyst at the NFL Network. Talking football brought it out of him.


(nj.com)

Warren Sapp used to make his money by collecting sacks.

Now, he’s saving some money after allegedly throwing a couple of working girls out of the sack.

According to TMZ, the former Buccaneers/Hall of Fame defensive tackle has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, resolving his arrest on prostitution and assault charges in Phoenix during Super Bowl week.

The report says that Sapp will plead guilty to one count of solicitation and one count of assault. To resolve the charges, he has to complete a pair of counseling programs, the “Prostitution Solicitation Diversion Program” as well as an anger management course.

He has apparently already completed the prostitution course (which would lead to the charge being dropped), and is working on completing the other counseling program now.

Sapp has also been ordered to pay restitution to each of the two prostitutes, $150 to one and $1,171.24 to the other.

Considering the fight broke out after Sapp thought he had agreed to terms for $300 for each of them — before everybody got naked — and then an argument erupted, that’s a stiff fine.

But considering he has already lost his job over the sordid affair, cutting this deal might allow him to clear his name soon.

Such that anyone’s ever going to forget this one.


(profootballtalk.com)

A Monday morning arrest on assault and solicitation of prostitution charges has cost Warren Sapp his analyst’s role with the NFL’s television channel.

NFL Network announced this afternoon it has ended Sapp’s employment.

“Warren Sapp’s contract has been terminated and he no longer works for NFL Network,” NFLN spokesperson Alex Riethmiller said in a statement released by the channel.

The 42-year-old Sapp had worked for the network since 2008.

With Sapp’s time with the network at a close, it remains to be seen if Sapp will be able to land a television role elsewhere.


(profootballtalk.com)

Warren Sapp’s arrest on Monday gave Jeremy Shockey a sense of schadenfreude.

Shockey and Sapp have long disliked each other, and they publicly feuded in 2012 when Sapp reported on NFL Network that he had a source telling him that Shockey was a “snitch” who informed the NFL about the Saints bounty scandal. The NFL later said Sapp’s report was wrong, and NFL Network informed Sapp that his job was to be a commentator, not a reporter.

So when Sapp was arrested in Phoenix for soliciting a prostitute the morning after the Super Bowl, Shockey gleefully “reported” that he had a “source” telling him of Sapp’s arrest.

Just heard from My SOURCE Warren Sapp charged with Soliciting a Prostitute! Damn so Sad http://t.co/qA89qke9xw

— Jeremy Shockey (@JeremyShockey) February 2, 2015

Shockey has every right to be angry with Sapp over that “snitch” report three years ago, so it’s not surprising that Shockey is taking delight in Sapp’s misfortune now. Shockey won’t have to worry about Sapp saying anything bad about him again, as NFL Network fired Sapp hours after his arrest.


(profootballtalk.com)

Warren Sapp's pants... #SBMediaDay pic.twitter.com/9e3hTdC9Yu

— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 27, 2015

TAMPA, Fla. -- In his role as the second coming of Warren Sapp, Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy faces a lot of double-team blocking.

So who better to turn to than Sapp for advice on how to handle it?

That’s what McCoy did a couple days ago. He went straight to a guy who faced more than his share of double teams.

“It used to frustrate me,’’ McCoy said Thursday. “But then I kind of realized that’s what comes with it. Ninety-nine told me, 'It’s tough sledding down there. When you’re the guy, that’s what you’re going to get. Get used to it. Get over it.'"

That’s solid advice from a Hall of Famer. Like Sapp once was, McCoy is the best player on the Tampa Bay defensive line. The double teams aren’t going away. McCoy said he has to deal with the double teams and find ways to beat them.

“It has to be done in order for me to be effective,’’ McCoy said. “It’s something I have to work on extremely hard, especially if it comes up in practice. That’s the best time to work on it. There are a lot of times when teams max protect and somebody has to win. I’ve got to get better and perfect working against double teams. There are ways to slip double teams. There are ways to align yourself in a better way when you know it’s coming. There are a lot of different things I can do. I’ve just got to keep working at it because if I get it down it will help us a lot.’’

Logic would say that the double teams on McCoy would free up the rest of the defensive line to come up with more sacks. But it hasn’t worked out that way so far.

McCoy leads the Bucs with five sacks. Nobody else has more than two and the Bucs have only 14 sacks as a team. Defensive end Michael Johnson has been slowed by injuries all season and that has hurt the pass rush. But McCoy said the defensive line needs to function better as a unit.

“We’ve got to work better together,’’ McCoy said. “That’s a fact. We definitely do. As for coordinating our rushes, meeting more than just in the meetings that are required. We have to meet as a unit and kind of get a feel for how we want to rush. But we definitely have to work better together.’’


(espn.com)

Eric Dickerson, Keyshawn Johnson, Ray Lewis and NFL Network's Warren Sapp are among the 193 candidates on the 2015 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

There are 75 players and six coaches from the FBS ranks and 87 players and 25 coaches from the small-school ranks on the ballot.

Joining Sapp, Dickerson, Lewis and Johnson as FBS candidates are Brian Bosworth, Randall Cunningham, Kirk Gibson (a star at Michigan State before choosing baseball), Cade McNown, Zach Thomas, Ricky Williams and Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who was a star linebacker at California. Among the candidates in the small-school group are former NFL players Marlin Briscoe, Mark Cotney and Don Griffin, as well as Gary Wichard, a former high-profile agent. The entire list of the 193 candidates is here.

The announcement of the 2015 class will be made Jan. 9, in advance of the Jan. 12 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

From the National Football Foundation website: "To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named a first-team All-American by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60 percent of their games; and be retired from coaching for at least three years. If a coach is retired and over the age of 70, there is no waiting period. If he is over the age of 75, he is eligible as an active coach. In both cases, the candidate's post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed."


(nfl.com)

Warren Sapp’s days at the University of Miami ended 1995. 

Despite the fact that it’s been nearly 20 years since the NFL Hall of Famer was a student-athlete for the Hurricanes, the former All-American still has his Miami college ID in his wallet. It’s awesome. 

Check it out: 

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Awesome -- @warrensapp still has his college ID from the 'U' in his wallet.

View on Instagram

NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp joined The Booger and Ryan Show to discuss what’s gone wrong for the Bucs this season.
Sapp said what he’s watching from the Bucs defense isn’t the Tampa 2.

“That ain’t (Tampa) 2,” Sapp said. “No, they’re not playing that defense I mean it’s a different version.”

Sapp did say though that even with Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson and John Lynch the Bucs were 1-7 in their first 8 games with the new system. It takes time to learn.

Sapp said it’s plain as day on film. It’s about the players on the field.

“It’s the Willys and Joes, not the X’s and O’s,” Sapp told Booger and Marc. “Me and Gerald (McCoy) had a real frank conversation this morning. He said ‘I had a bad day at the office, I’ve chalked it up and I’ve got to get better.’ I said there we go.”

Sapp told us that there are quality players there they just need to make some plays.

Gerald McCoy defended helping up opposing players. Sapp said he didn’t like that.

“Too see him (McCoy) reach down and help the running back up and help the lineman up, I almost threw up. Uh! This could never happen, this could never happen. There’s a certain mentality you play this game with.”

So far though, Sapp said he likes Lovie Smith and what he’s doing. It takes time for a bad team to let all the bad habits go. Sapp said even in his day, it took him time to become a disciplined DT.

In today’s current NFL, Sapp said that you can’t rely just on defense.

“You can’t come out and play like we did anymore,” Sapp said. “We can forget those days, Buc ball is dead fellas. The 17-10 games all that 13-9 uh-uh. It’s over. There will be some points put up on the scoreboard, the defense has to keep you in it and the offense has to win it for you.”


(cbslocal.com)

Budweiser saw a man loading a case of Bud Light into his car, and took it as a sign of him being “up for whatever happens next.”

Of course, it could have been a sign that he was down for saving a few dollars by not buying Sam Adams, but that’s not important. Since this man – Alex – happens to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and is clearly up for whatever, Budweiser decided to makeover his entire house and backyard into a pirate ship.

They also dressed Warren Sapp like a pirate.




(usatoday.com)

Football Hall of Famer and NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp has invested in and accepted a position at a fantasy sports start-up located in Santa Monica.
A friend of a friend introduced the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle to Rivalry Games, said Justin Bauer, the chief executive of the start-up.

Sapp has promoted or offered social-media advice to other tech companies, including video app Viddy, image-sharing app Momentage and education nonprofit Code.org. But the role of co-founder and vice president of business development at Rivalry will be his deepest involvement yet. His stake in the company is similar to that of co-founders Bauer and Nathan Leland.

“I knew the moment I met Justin that together we could bring Rivalry Games to the next level by developing cutting-edge fantasy sports products that make every game better,” Sapp said in a statement announcing his role Wednesday.

Rivalry’s app is aimed at fantasy sports players who care more for the thrill of the competition than betting big sums and amassing huge returns. It’s one of several companies offering “daily” action, meaning players draft new teams each day rather than just once at the beginning of the season as in traditional fantasy sports setups. Branded as games of skill, not chance, the daily betting hasn't faced legal scrutiny yet.

The expanding market emerged a few years ago as avid fantasy players such as Bauer grew frustrated that friends stopped paying attention late in the season because their teams were struggling. But the most well-known places for daily fantasy games, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, are too geared toward “hard-core gamblers,” Bauer said. Other competitors include DailyMVP and DraftDay.

In Rivalry's app, users can bet virtual currency or real money on games. Rivalry takes a cut of 8% to 12% of real-money games and could turn to advertising and sponsorships to make money from the free games. Opponents can be friends or strangers. The game, available only for iPhone or iPad, has been in testing mode, but it's hitting prime time with football season beginning. About 25,000 downloads have been logged so far.

“This is a big moment in our company because football is Christmas for the fantasy sports world," Bauer said.

The hope is that if the app catches on, Rivalry will be able to close its first round of fund raising by mid-2015.

Sapp first met with Rivalry at the beginning of the year -- about the time that the company moved to Santa Monica to join the MuckerLab accelerator program. Mucker Capital co-founder William Hsu said he and co-managing partner Erik Rannala had an eye out for mobile-centric companies.

“This is about entertainment, with money as the cherry on top,” Hsu said.

Sapp encouraged Rivalry to allow trash-talking between players. He’s also helping with outreach to media partners to help build awareness. Having built up more than 1 million followers on Twitter, Sapp is lending  insights on social-media tactics, too.

“He’s our chief evangelist,” Bauer said. “For Warren, what really matters to him is the game play being legitimately very little commitment and the social aspect.”

Sapp, who filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012 after a real estate development deal turned sour, joins an exclusive list of celebrities -- NBA star Carmelo Anthony and actor Ashton Kutcher among them -- willing to take on the risky investment in start-ups. 


(latimes.com)

Women seeking to carve out a career in sports, heads up: this is the kind of stuff you'll deal with on a regular basis. Sage Steele, host of ESPN's NBA Countdown, is one of the most accomplished journalists in sports, of any gender. But there was a time when she was just a cub reporter herself, and she drew the joyous assignment of interviewing Warren Sapp on a regular basis.

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel's show, Steele conceded that she is completely gray because of locker room experiences. Kimmel prodded her for specific names, and Steele relented, giving up Sapp.

Steele told the story of the first time she covered the Buccaneers after a stint in Indianapolis. "I was young and scared and trying to impress," she said. "I'm a journalist and all business." Sapp spotted her and waved her over, "and the idiot that I was, I walked over," Steele said.

Steele introduced herself and said she was from Indianapolis, and Sapp nodded knowingly, saying "I could tell." Steele couldn't figure out how he knew, and he promised to tell her during bye week.



The secret, according to Sapp? "All women from Indianapolis, Naptown, wear granny panties," Steele said.

"Were you wearing them?" Kimmel laughed.

"Apparently I was!" Steele replied. "I need to thank Warren Sapp for being that obnoxious, because I went shopping and I've evolved. I try to teach women who want to get into business -"

"Wear thong underwear," Kimmel finished, and the scowl that Steele fixed him with said plenty.


(sports.yahoo.com)

NFL Hall of Famer and University of Miami football great Michael Irvin will host the 4th Annual Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys/University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF) Celebrity Dolphin Fishing Tournament June 27-28 in Islamorada, Fla. Event activities will take place at Founders Park at Mile Marker 87 and Coconut Cove Resort and Marina at Mile Marker 85 on the Overseas Highway.

The tournament weekend will begin Friday evening with a kick-off party and captains' meeting followed on Saturday by a full day of fishing, awards dinner and live and silent auctions featuring unique sports memorabilia as well as a variety of gift packages. This is the only fishing event of its kind that matches participants with former Miami Hurricanes sports stars for the competition. Cash prizes and trophies will be presented to anglers in eight categories. A portion of the tournament proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity of the Upper Keys, The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis and the UMSHoF.

"This tournament reflects the Hall of Fame's mission," said K.C. Jones, president of the UMSHoF, a 2008 hall inductee, two-time Super Bowl winner with the Denver Broncos and founder of the tournament. "Not only can University of Miami sports fans celebrate the accomplishments of our former student-athletes, they can compete side-by-side with them while raising money for local causes. We are on track for 100 boats to participate in this year's tournament."

Irvin added: "This is really all about the U and our family of Hurricanes fans and former student-athletes. We must embrace the mission of the UMSHoF, which is an organization that recognizes the tremendous efforts of our Hurricanes athletes, coaches and administrators."

Former Hurricanes sports stars scheduled to participate include NFL Hall of Famer and 2012 Tournament Host Warren Sapp (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders), NFL Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks (Baltimore Colts, Green Bay Packers, Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders), Clinton Portis (Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins), Brett Romberg (Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons), Gary Dunn (Pittsburgh Steelers), Damione Lewis (St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Houston Texans), and Randal Hill (Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints).
Tournament Information

For information about tournament participation, including boat entry or sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.canesfish.com or contact Tournament Director Judy Layne at judy(at)canesfish(dot)com. Save $150 on tournament fees by registering online now until June 1. Follow the tournament on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/canesfish.

About the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame (UMSHoF)



Nestled on the Coral Gables campus of the University of Miami, the UMSHoF is a 501(c)(3) corporation whose sole purpose is to recognize those student athletes, coaches and administrators who have contributed the most to Hurricanes Athletics over the years. The showcase for the UMSHoF and repository of the great sports traditions of the University of Miami is the Tom Kearns Sports Hall of Fame Building, next door to the Hecht Athletic Center on San Amaro Drive. On display are photos of each of the inductees, the National Championship Trophies for University of Miami football and baseball, as well as the Heisman Trophies of Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta. The UMSHoF display includes basketball memorabilia from the Rick Barry years along with items from all of the university sports programs. For information about planning a visit, participating in one of the annual fundraising event or contributing to the UMSHoF, visit http://www.umsportshalloffame.com, send an email to umsportshalloffame(at)aol(dot)com or contact John Routh directly at (305) 284-2775.


(digitaljournal.com)

Jadeveon Clowney continues to be a lightning rod as the 2014 NFL Draft approaches.

On Monday's edition of "NFL Total Access," NFL Media's Heath Evans and Warren Sapp expressed their disapproval of Clowney's decision to decline on-field workouts in the run-up to the draft. Clowney opted out of the workouts after Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas suffered a torn ACL during a team workout.

"There's just so many little things about this kid that deter you from getting on his side," Evans said. "This kid turns down private workouts? He says, 'Well, I don't want to get hurt.' You should be training harder on the day that you're not at a private workout than how hard they would work you on the private workout."

"That's the real issue with me," said Sapp, who believes the Texans should select Teddy Bridgewater No. 1 overall, not Clowney. "What else is he doing, not waking up? The next job you have is rushing the quarterback, young man, getting ready for the NFL. If you wake up every morning and you're not prepared to go out and do the things you have to be either be an outside linebacker or pass rushing specialist, what else is there?

"You can blow your knee out walking your doggy," Sapp continued. "So why would you not work out for a team that has twenty million-plus dollars for you?"
The question is whether the Texans have the same concerns as Evans and Sapp. If they do, you can safely assume they'll go elsewhere with the No. 1 overall pick.


(nfl.com)

Numerous former NFL stars are on the latest list of candidates for the College Football Hall of Fame.

One of those on the ballot is Miami (Fla.) defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. Sapp currently works for NFL Network. Other NFL Network employees on the Hall list are South Carolina wide receiver Sterling Sharpe and TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who was a star linebacker at California, is another on the list.

The 2014 class will be announced in May, with the official induction coming Dec. 9. Ballots were mailed this week to more than 12,000 members of the National Football Foundation -- which oversees the Hall of Fame -- and current Hall of Famers. There is no set number of inductees, though the number usually is around 11 or 12 players and two coaches.

The FBS list includes 75 former players and six coaches. The ballot also includes players from the FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA ranks; among the candidates in that group are former NFL players Marlin Briscoe, Mark Cotney and Don Griffin.

Among the other FBS players: North Carolina cornerback Dre Bly, USC offensive tackle Tony Boselli, USC safety Mark Carrier, Florida wide receiver Wes Chandler, UNLV quarterback Randall Cunningham, SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Miami (Fla.) linebacker Ray Lewis, Illinois linebacker Simeon Rice and Alabama linebacker Derrick Thomas.

Heisman winners Eric Crouch, a quarterback at Nebraska; Rashaan Salaam, a running back at Colorado; and Ricky Williams, a running back at Texas, also are on the ballot.

Darryl Rogers, who spent four seasons (1985-88) as the coach of the Detroit Lions, is one of the coaches on the list.


(nfl.com)

Is Rick Ross gonna have to send his goons to pay a visit to Warren Sapp? Maybe.

Over the weekend, we told you about how Ross and Sapp bet $100,000 on the Super Bowl. Ross liked the Seahawks, while Sapp liked the Broncos. There is visual evidence of it and everything! But now, Sapp is saying that he did not make a wager with Ross and that it was all for show. Er, or something. He took to Twitter a little while ago and posted this:

“just FYI for you clowns, Rick Ross don't even know my Phone # lets alone made a bet of 100k! Sounded Good #Not”

“I only bet on two things, sure things & my abilities, because the only thing I was ever sure of was my abilities #1stBallot”

We appreciate Sapp stunting with #1stBallot and all that. He was a helluva football player. But, there is VISUAL EVIDENCE of you making a bet with Ross, man. There's also this:

@rickyrozay
Me and my big bro @warrensapp bet on the Superbowl tonight $$$$$


(complex.com)

The Giants aren't even in the Super Bowl and Michael Strahan finished his playing career in 2007.

Yet on Media Day, he was the subject of another rip from Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp in what has been an ongoing battle between the two players -- the two have exchanged words and watched as ex-Giant Tiki Barber stepped in last summer and called Sapp "an idiot."

Sapp went off Tuesday when asked about Strahan's Hall of Fame candidacy. Strahan is one of 15 finalists and one of five first-time finalists for the voting, which will be announced this week.

"When you talk about stacking it up, it just don’t stack that high. You all just give it to him. You all don’t take that same critical eye when you’re looking at someone else," he said on Tuesday. "'Ah, Michael, he’s our guy.’ He’s on TV with Kelly [Ripa] and he’s such a good guy.' I thought you got into the Hall because your resume stacked up with the greats of the game. But (Strahan’s) four straight Pro Bowls is good, but it ain’t great. And we’re talking about the Hall, right?"

Sapp listed other Hall of Fame nominees that were first-ballot HoFers in his mind: former Colts coach Tony Dungy, Seahawks OT Walter Jones, Colts receiver Marvin Harrison and Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks.

Sapp later clarified his comments to NJ.com: "I didn't say he didn't belong. I said when you looked at the class...his resume doesn't stack up to those guys. I’m asking you, does it? He’s not even in their class."

So is he a Hall of Famer or not?

"I don’t know," he replied. "I don’t know what defines a Hall of Famer. You tell me four straight Pro Bowls? Nah. You tell me a faulty sack title? Nah. But now you’re saying it does. You all pranced [Mark] Gastineau right on the field and took his sack record from him. That was a shame. And now it continues."

"Me and him always stabbed and jabbed," Sapp continued. "But now Warren has the upper hand, nobody wants to jab anymore. I understand. I was the little guy in Tampa and he was the guy in the big city. And now he has to get in. We’re in his city. We’re near the stadium. You all are going to give it to him."


(nj.com)

Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp has been called a lot of things. It's time to add bully to the list. At least, that's what some former Buccaneers players are stating.

Per the Tampa Bay Times, former players Keyshawn Johnson and Chidi Ahanotu came forward voicing frustrations about the way Sapp treated them, and others on the Bucs, during his tenure in Tampa Bay.

"Richie Incognito tormenting and bullying of his teammate reminds me of what our beloved Warren Sapp did to his teammates and the staff," said Ahanotu.

"Tyoka Jackson, Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, Marcus Jones and I {Anahotu} all confronted Sapp and had physical altercations and varying degrees with Sapp. Virtually nothing was off limits to Sapp's verbal attacks and belittling of his teammates and front office staff."

Ahanotu went on to add that the bullying increased until he stood up for himself and called Sapp out in the locker room. Once he showed backbone, Sapp didn't bother him again.

Sapp denied the rumors, claiming that Anahotu and others had ample time to bring this information to the public, but decided to wait until the defensive lineman was inducted into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor. He didn't stop there, and even went so far as blasting Incognito on local radio, accusing him of being a 'dirtbag.'

The fact that multiple players have come forward addressing Sapp's antics leads me to believe that he and Incognito may not be so different. However, I question the validity of Sapp belittling front office staff. Is one player exempt from punishment if he plays at an All-Pro level on the field? Is winning so important that a bully is allowed free reign over his teammates and staff?

I understand players not wanting to create a scene and get coaches involved, but why wouldn't front office personnel contact upper management about Sapp's bullying? Was bullying in the locker room common, and if so, how many other untold stories are waiting to be shared?

This story won't affect Tampa Bay's play this season. Sapp and those accusing him are all retired. That is what makes the Incognito-Martin ordeal different. This information is coming out right now as it's happening, and it's affecting everyone connected to the situation.

This story emphasizes that there is -- and has been -- a serious problem with player bullying in the league for some time. It's disappointing that professional athletes -- role models in the community, by choice or not -- are engaging in acts of verbal and physical harassment for their own enjoyment.

If nothing else, this story stresses the importance of getting rid of acts of bullying in our schools. No one deserves to be treated differently because of their size, weight, social status, ethnicity, or athletic ability, or lack thereof. If bullies see that their acts of aggression are tolerated in professional sports, what's to stop them from becoming the next Warren Sapp or Richie Incognito?


(yahoosports.com)

Warren Sapp should skip through the Dolphins' stretching line Monday night. One last time, he should kick the pylon out of the northeast corner of the end zone. He should flip his helmet from his toe into his hands and place it on his head. Arms by his side, he should prance and dance and rev Raymond James Stadium into delirium.

For good measure, the former defensive tackle should plant another quarterback or two.

Images of Sapp during his nine seasons in Tampa Bay will flash on the Jumbotron. For a few minutes, fans will remember the dominant defense, the division titles, the Super Bowl XXXVII championship.

During a halftime ceremony, Sapp will receive his ring from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, completing his enshrinement that commenced with a ceremony in Canton, Ohio, in August.

Then the Bucs will unveil his name and retired No. 99 on the east side of RJS, joining Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, Jimmie Giles and Paul Gruber in the Ring of Honor.

"Bryan (Glazer) just told me I get three minutes (to speak)," Sapp, 40, said Wednesday of the Bucs' co-chairman. "Then I realized we've got a football game to play. People don't come to the football game for halftime. That's okay. I've never been at halftime before."

Sapp was never 0-8 before, either. He was 0-5 and 1-8 in 1996, the first season under coach Tony Dungy. The Bucs won five of their last seven games and didn't look back until the end of the next decade.

In his job as an NFL Network analyst, Sapp has been critical of the Bucs under coach Greg Schiano.

"It's black and white," Sapp said. "At the end of the day, they don't ask you, 'Oh, how did the game go? What were you on third down?' They ask you, 'Did you win or did you not?' And it's that black and white.

"Just like I was sitting there talking to (Schiano) at lunch: This isn't personal. These are just the facts."

Sapp's criticisms include Tampa Bay's use of cornerback Darrelle Revis and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

"Darrelle Revis is a lock-down corner. Gerald McCoy needs to be swapped from side to side and find a one-on-one for him the same way they did for me," Sapp said. "These aren't facts that are in dispute. That's why I don't think I'm having a problem coming back here and seeing my guys or walking in this place.

"This is personal for me. I love this place with everything I know and love. I want to see it excel. I can live on through this place if they're playing good football. I don't want it that way, but I'm not going to look at it and turn a blind eye. I've always looked at it and called a spade a spade, and that's what I will do."

As I wrote in August, Sapp can still be self-centered, crude and cruel. The brashness and bravado that served him well as a player isn't always as useful once there are no more games to play.

But this night is not about debating his character or other aspects of his life.

On Monday night, Sapp is being honored for his feats on the field. He was an entertainer, and he saw RJS as his stage.

"The boys are calling and telling me, 'We'll be there,' " Sapp said. "That's going to be the most fun part, sitting around on that Sunday afternoon watching football and telling lines. That's the best. Simeon (Rice) is coming. Somebody gave him coordinates from Mars, so we're good. We got the boys."

You can peel back the curtain to the NFL after Monday night. Be careful because it's a little like sausage. You might not want to see how it's made. You can talk about bullies and concussions and coaching burnout for the rest of the year. You can hold up your Fire Schiano signs and mock MRSA.

SAPP 99 is going to hang around for awhile.

"I don't care where it goes," he said, "just so long as it sits up there for awhile."

Don't like it? As he once told Packers coach Mike Sherman, "If you're so tough, put a jersey on."


(tampbay.com)

Warren Sapp appeared on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday, and admitted that accused bully and harasser Richie Incognito called him a nigger once, and kicked him during one of their heated battles.

Sapp said “Incognito was simply attempting to provoke him and that it really was no big deal”. He also said “Martin was correct in not confronting Incognito physically after Incognito bullied him.”

Sapp’s former Buccaneers teammate and locker room adversary, Keyshawn Johnson, appeared on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and said that “Sapp should know a thing or two about bullying.”

Johnson told The Game that “Sapp bullied former Tampa Bay defensive lineman Chidi Ahanotu for a long time, and it didn’t stop until Ahanotu finally stood up to Sapp physically.”

“Chidi Ahanotu played with me in Tampa Bay, and I used to watch Warren Sapp do some similar things to Chidi Ahanotu,” Johnson said.  “Now I’m saying this on the record, and it’s going to go all over the country after I say this. I used to watch him try to bully Chidi Ahanotu, OK?  Because he felt he was more superior than Chidi.  So one day, you know what Ahanotu did? He got up and he told him, ‘Get your you-know-what in the middle of the floor right now. I’m tired of it.’
“And at that point guess what Sapp did?  He sat down.  And then everybody else in the locker room, me, the Derrick Brookses, the Brian Kellys, we all said, ‘Good for you, man.’  [Sapp] didn’t want no part of it.  Until you stand up for yourself and don’t allow these chumps to do that sort of stuff to you, they’ll keep doing it.  That’s the way bullies are.”

Chidi Ahanotu would later confirm Keyshawn’s story on a later appearance on 95.7 The Game.

Ahanotu doesn’t feel he was bullied, because he “always fought back.’

“Sapp likes to target certain people,” Ahanotu said. “And he was really bullying everybody in that facility, actually.  That’s what he turned into. . . .  I think fame and money kind of changes people, and he’s a prime example of that. . . .  Six years of dealing with that, and finally he said the wrong thing . . . talking about my dad, and that’s when I said, ‘OK, that’s it, man.’  I grabbed my helmet and I was about to beat his head in.”

I think it all goes back to the point that football at it’s core isn’t a game for the weak.


(blacksportsonline.com)

Richie Incognito's racist tendencies go way beyond bullying Miami Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin.

NFL Hall-of-Famer Warren Sapp claims Incognito went full-on bigot on him years ago during a game in an attempt to make him lose his cool.

"One time he kicks me in a game and calls me the ‘N-word,’” Sapp revealed on Dan Patrick's radio show Wednesday. "I look at him and I say, 'Oh, you want me to punch you in the mouth so they kick me out the game?'"

Years later, Sapp laughed off the incident as the actions of a desperate opponent trying to gain the upper hand.

"I said, 'That's all you got?'"

When pressed by Patrick over the severity of the word, the former Buccaneers and Raiders defensive tackle dismissed it as a "term of endearment from where I'm from."

"He (Incognito) don't want to fight, cause the only thing he gotta do is call me after the football game, come over to the locker room and say it after the game."
While Incognito's racial taunting is a source of amusement for Sapp, the effect on Martin was far more serious.




(nydailynews.com)

NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp spoke on the Dan Patrick Show and was asked to discuss the Broncos high-powered offense under Peyton Manning. 

Sapp goes on to explain that there's no way to take away the middle of the field and that the only way to do that is to put a solid hit on a receiver. Sapp explains: 

“There’s no way to get in their faces like back in the day.  You know like New England used to do Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison back in the day.  You can’t do that.  You can’t ride them down the field.” 

“I used to have $5,000 waiting for anybody that hit somebody and got a fine because we needed to protect the middle of the field.”

Patrick then asks Sapp how many times he did this during his career, to which Sapp replies, "at least six."


(bleacherreport.com)

Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp made some waves last week when he trashed former defensive end Michael Strahan while complimenting his former teammate Simeon Rice.

"Simeon was a better rusher than Michael Strahan any day of the week and twice on Sunday,” Sapp said. “[Rice] didn't rush the worst lineman. You know the right tackle is the worst of the five. Strahan played right end [against the opponent's left tackle] his first four years. When they were putting the label on him as a bust, they put 'B-U-S. OK, let's transition him on the other side and see if he can play in his fourth year.'

"They put him at right end and he couldn't do it, so they moved him to the weak guy.”

Now, you might ask why in the name of Canton, Ohio would Sapp bring this up. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber has an answer.

"Warren's an idiot," Barber told the NY Post on Monday. "He just wants to say things to be idiotic. I played with Stray for my whole career. He is the greatest of the great. He is a great teammate, he kept things light, but on game day he was as serious as a heart attack and it showed in his play.

"Warren doesn't know, never played with him," Barber said. "I don't put any credence in his opinion. I hope Stray doesn't let it bother him. I don't think it does.", Jeremy Shockey?


(cbssports.com)

ORLANDO - The feud between Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan took a fresh turn Wednesday when the Hall of Fame defensive tackle of the Buccaneers said Strahan wasn't even close to former Tampa Bay teammate Simeon Rice as a pass rusher.

"Nobody ever talks about Simeon,'' said Sapp, who played three seasons with Rice in Tampa and saw the right defensive end average 14 sacks between 2001-03. "Simeon was a better rusher than Michael Strahan any day of the week and twice on Sunday.''

Sapp also said Strahan's 15-year career with the New York Giants didn't take off until he was moved from right end to the left side.

"(Rice) didn't rush the worst lineman,'' said Sapp, who beat out Strahan for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013. "You know the right tackle is the worst of the five. Strahan played right end his first four years. When they were putting the label on him as a bust, they put 'B-U-S . OK, let's transition him on the other side and see if he can play in his fourth year.'

"They put him at right end and he couldn't do it, so they moved him to the weak guy. One-on-one with the (Eagles right tackle) Jon Runyans for eight quarters every year. Sim won't ever have his name brought up (for the Hall of Fame), and that's a shame. He's one of the best pass rushers I've ever encountered in my life.''

Efforts to reach Strahan Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Rice posted 122 sacks in 12 NFL seasons and was a key component of Tampa Bay's 2002 championship team with four sacks in three postseason games.

Strahan ranks fifth on the league's career list with 141.5 sacks and he set the single-season mark with 22.5 sacks in 2001, breaking Mark Gastineau's record by taking down Green Bay's Brett Favre, who called an audible and appeared to concede the historic sack.

When Sapp arrived at Bucs training camp in Orlando the following summer, he questioned Strahan's record-breaking takedown.

"This is a man who wants something given to him and they gave it to him,'' Sapp said. "So have it.''

In February, after making the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in a class that included Strahan, Sapp termed the television co-host a "media darling.''

Strahan promptly responded on Twitter.

"You never cease to amaze me!'' Strahan wrote, addressing Sapp. "Enjoy your moment. You don't need to take a shot at me to justify yourself to other people.''


(tbo.com)

TAMPA - Warren Sapp won't officially be inducted until Aug. 3, but the former All-Pro defensive tackle of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has already left a mark at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

To celebrate Sapp's upcoming honor, the Bucs donated several artifacts from the two-time All-Decade player's career for permanent preservation in the NFL's shrine to excellence.

Sapp, who played nine of his 13 seasons in Tampa, is the second Buccaneer to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, joining the late Lee Roy Selmon. Among the items now on display in a special exhibit dedicated to the Hall of Fame Class of 2013 are the jerseys worn by Sapp during the 1996 and 2000 seasons.

Sapp earned NFL All-Decade honors in the 1990s and 2000s and was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 1999. The next season, he posted a career-high 16.5 sacks, earning one of his seven Pro Bowl berths with Tampa.

In 2002, Sapp was an integral part of the franchise's first and only Super Bowl victory. To commemorate that accomplishment, the team sent a special collector's edition bobble head of Sapp following Tampa Bay's win against the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII and a commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated, chronicling the franchise's run to the Super Bowl. Sapp is featured on the magazine's cover.

Sapp and the six other members of the Class of 2013 - Larry Allen, Cris Carter, Curley Culp, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, and Dave Robinson - will be enshrined Aug. 3, when a bust of Sapp will be unveiled. Sapp already met with lead sculptor Blair Buswell as the Hall prepares for its 50th anniversary, with a record number of members expected to attend the weekend festivities in Canton.


(tbo.com)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Warren Sapp is the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ring of Honor.

The team formally announced Thursday that the four-time All-Pro defensive tackle will be honored on Nov. 11 at Raymond James Stadium, a little more than three months after Sapp is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Sapp will join Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, Jimmie Giles and Paul Gruber in having his name displayed in the club's Ring of Honor, which was created in 2009. The club also said Sapp's No. 99 jersey will be retired during halftime of that night's nationally televised game against the Miami Dolphins.

"His days on the field were headlined by incredible passion, overwhelming talent and, of course, his larger-than-life personality," Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said. "His accolades and accomplishments peak for themselves."

The 40-year-old played nine seasons of a 13-year career with Tampa Bay, redefining what's known as the under tackle position and helping transform the Bucs from a laughingstock of the NFL into a Super Bowl winner.

Sapp was the 12th overall pick of the 1995 draft, part of a class that also brought linebacker Derrick Brooks to a franchise once jokingly referred to as the "Yucs."

"It's unbelievable. I couldn't dream of anything like this," Sapp told a packed auditorium that included his mother, aunt, ex-teammates and former coach Tony Dungy, who arrived in 1996 -- Sapp's second as a pro -- and challenged him and Brooks to "chase Joe Greene and Jack Ham" and become the best players they could be.

Together with safety John Lynch, Sapp and Brooks formed the heart of a defense that not only reshaped the image of the Bucs but ranked among the best in the NFL for nearly a decade.

"I want to thank anybody that had anything to do with," Sapp said. "Anybody who put up with my wildness, that overlarge personality and this big ol' mouth of mine."

Tampa Bay ended a stretch of 12 consecutive seasons with double-digit losses by going 7-9 in Sapp's rookie year, made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years under Dungy in 1997, then reached the NFC championship game two years later, with Sapp posting 12 1-2 sacks and being selected the NFL defensive player of the year.

Sapp had a franchise-record 16 1-2 sacks the following season and helped Tampa Bay win it's only Super Bowl title during the 2002 season. The Bucs have not won a playoff game since.

He holds the franchise record for sacks with 77 in nine seasons with Tampa Bay from 1995 to 2003. He played four seasons with the Oakland Raiders before retiring with 96 1-2 career sacks.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Sapp was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and on Aug. 3 he will join Selmon as the only player who spent the majority of his career with the Buccaneers enshrined in Canton.

"They said Tampa was a place where careers came to die," Sapp said. "That's a lie. Tampa's a destination. Tampa's a place where champions live. And we all did it together. I wouldn't trade it for a day in any other uniform, any other place in the world."


(espn.com)

Raymond James Stadium is the house that Warren Sapp built. Now he will be a permanent fixture inside of it.

Sapp, 40, the Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle and only the second Tampa Bay player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, confirmed he will become the fifth inductee into the team's Ring of Honor in 2013.

"I used to go to other stadiums and I would always look to see who was up there,'' Sapp said Tuesday. "It's a great honor and I was almost speechless when the Glazers told me.

"Everyone always said it was the house that Sapp built. Whenever we played, there was always a sign that said this is Sapp's house.''

The official announcement will be made during a Thursday, 1:30 p.m. news conference at One Buc Place and Sapp is expected to attend. Sapp’s name and No. 99 will be unveiled during a Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime of an undisclosed regular-season game this year.

It will be the second induction ceremony of the year for Sapp. He is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013 that will be enshrined during a ceremony in Canton, Ohio, Aug. 3.

Sapp, along with players such as Derrick Brooks and John Lynch, helped transform a Buccaneers franchise from unlovable losers to Super Bowl XXXVII champions during the prime of his 13 NFL seasons that also included the final four years with the Oakland Raiders. He was a member of the league's All-Decade team for the 1990s and 2000s; defensive player of the year in '99; Super Bowl champion; seven-time Pro Bowl selection; and his 96 1/2 sacks are the second-highest career total for a defensive tackle.

On Tuesday, Sapp told the story of going up against seven-time Pro Bowl guard Chris Hinton when he played the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie. Randall McDaniel was the Vikings other guard, so Sapp thought he'd try his luck with Hinton. "(Hinton) grabbed me, head butted me and called me names,'' Sapp said. "I went back to Randall McDaniel because I felt I might get my (butt) kicked but at least I won't get chastised.

"Years later, I was in Indianapolis covering the combine and I looked up and saw Hinton's name up on the stadium. I told Mooch (Steve Mariucci) I didn't know he had played for the Colts. He said, "Yeah, they traded Elway for him.' That's what the Ring of Honor means to me. That's what it means when they put your name on the building and you know it will never come down.''

Sapp became only the second Bucs player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Feb., joining defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, who was enshrined in 1995 after six years of eligibility. Selmon was the first member of the Bucs' Ring of Honor at RJS and has been joined by former head coach John McKay, tight end Jimmie Giles and left tackle Paul Gruber.

All those names are adorned to the east side of the stadium. Sapp said he would love for his to be the first name on the west side of RJS.

"You're going to get me to stir things up, but I'd love to be at the 50 yard and the first one the west side (of the stadium),'' Sapp said. "That's where my mom always sat. And the teams that come into play us will be staring right at it. They'll be looking dead at it and they'll know the Bucs are coming right at you.''


(tampabay.com)

When you move past the fact that Darrelle Revis is coming off major knee surgery and will be making more money than any defensive back in NFL history, he looks like a steal for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you’re going to give up a first-round pick, you might as well do so for arguably the best cornerback in the league.

However, not all fans, players and former players are sold on Tampa’s new acquisition. Hall of Famer Warren Sapp doesn’t feel that Revis contributes to a championship formula.

“He’s selfish and he’s never been a team player,” Sapp told The Tampa Tribune on Sunday. “We didn’t win the championship that way. Derrick Brooks and I always cared more about the team than ourselves.”

Former Bucs safety John Lynch, who was also part of a championship-caliber defense in Tampa, offered a different opinion.

“I played with Champ Bailey in his prime and I know what a cornerback like Revis can do for a defense,” Lynch said. “Like Champ, Revis is a guy who can neutralize No. 1 receivers, so you don’t have to dedicate extra resources to stopping that guy. Darrelle Revis is a big-time football player. … He’s a game-changer.”

You could certainly make the argument that Revis has been overly concerned with his contract since coming into the league, but it was the Jets that wanted to get rid of him. He has performed like the best cornerback in the NFL over the past several years and New York did not want to pay him accordingly. That’s the team’s prerogative, but I don’t know if I’d label him “selfish” based solely on that. Then again, there a lot of things Sapp says that I don’t totally agree with.


(larrybrownsports.com)

We previously told you former New Orleans player Steve Gleason will announce the Saints’ third-round pick in next week’s NFL draft.

We had a separate post on Gleason because the Saints released that information ahead of the rest of the league. But I don’t want to sell the other former players that will announce second-round picks for the other three NFC South teams.

Warren Sapp will announce Tampa Bay’s pick. That’s only fitting since Sapp will be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame this summer.

Deion Sanders, who already is in the Hall of Fame, will announce Atlanta’s pick. Mike Minter will announce Carolina’s pick.


(espn.com)

Matt Birk went out on top, announcing his retirement last week after 15 seasons in the NFL and winning the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Harvard alumnus spoke with SI.com's Peter King on Sunday, offering several gems while reflecting on life and football.

The best of them might have been a revelation that he wanted to "kill" Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp during one game in Minnesota.

"And he wanted to kill me," Birk added. "That's the great thing about football. You go out there and try to kill each other for three hours, then after the game, it's, 'Stay healthy, have a great season, love you.' You hug, and you're best friends. I see Warren today, we laugh, we're great."

Birk echoed the sentiments of Ravens return specialist Jacoby Jones, who offered high praise for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco on NFL Network's "NFL AM" last week.

"I will miss playing with Joe. Special guy," Birk said. "I really admire him, how he goes about his business. He doesn't get full of himself, doesn't buy into the hype, doesn't make the game too big. I wish I was that level-headed."

Birk acknowledges he'll have a hard time matching the fulfillment that playing in the NFL gave him.

"Like, what can we do so we can celebrate like that again?" Birk asked. "Can we cure cancer or something? We have to find a way to feel that way again, and there just aren't many things you can do to have that kind of joy. But you want to find it again."

Will the Ravens have a ceremony to celebrate the six-time Pro Bowl center's career?

"That's not me," Birk said. "You do that for Ray Lewis, you don't do that for me."


(nfl.com)

Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan, two finalists for the latest Pro Football Hall of Fame voting, have swapped shots after Sapp was elected, but Strahan was not.

After Saturday’s Hall of Fame vote, Sapp went on WDAE Radio with his belief that he couldn’t compete with Strahan’s media presence on Live With Kelly & Michael.

“Say if I rewind this to Saturday at 12 o’clock me and you are sitting and I say, ‘It breaks down whatever and whatever and then you have Michael Strahan and me.  C’mon, the menace and the media darling,’” Sapp told WDAE.  “C’mon.  Madness, or Good Morning America?  I mean, c’mon.”

Strahan apparently felt slighted and fired back at Sapp via Twitter.

Michael Strahan @michaelstrahan:
@WarrenSapp You never cease to amaze me! Enjoy your moment. You don't need to take a shot at me to justify yourself to other people. #class


(cnnsi.com)

CONGRATULATIONS to Newest proCane NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Warren Sapp who became the 6th proCane in the NFL Hall of Fame joining Ted Hendricks, Cortez Kennedy, Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly, Jim Otto.

NFL HOF RANKINGS OF PLAYERS BY SCHOOL: USC (11) ND (10) OSU (9) Michigan (8) PITT (8) Alabama (7) Syracuse (7) Illinois (6) THE U (6) Minnesota (6)

NEW ORLEANS — Warren Sapp had another man in his embrace Saturday, and just like during his playing career, the poor guy wasn't going anywhere until the former Bucs defensive tackle decided to let go.

Shortly after being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, Sapp was greeted on the set of the NFL Network program by former linebacker Derrick Brooks. The onetime Bucs teammates, who have known each other since playing together in a Florida high school all-star game more than two decades ago, shared a tearful bear hug for about 45 seconds.

"He said: 'You're next, man. I love you,' " said Brooks, who will be eligible for the Hall next year. " 'You're next, I love you. You're next, I love you. You're next, I love you.' "

Sapp, 40, becomes only the second Bucs player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, who was enshrined in 1995 after six years of eligibility. Sapp was the last player announced during the televised show for the Hall of Fame Class of 2013, joining Ravens tackle Jonathan Ogden, Cowboys guard Larry Allen, Vikings receiver Cris Carter, Giants Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells and senior candidates Dave Robinson and Curley Culp.

Sapp, after a decorated college career at Miami, was credited with helping transform a Buccaneers franchise from unlovable losers to Super Bowl XXXVII champions during the prime of his 13 NFL seasons that also included the final four years with the Oakland Raiders.

So it was no surprise to see him blazing a path to the hallowed ground of the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where he will be inducted during a ceremony on Aug. 3.

While Sapp arrived first among his group of Bucs — as he did to the ballcarrier on so many Sundays — he said he expects to be followed by teammates and coaches.

"We went at it, we went out at it with a vigor and a love and a flavor that you just don't see every day," he said. "In that little shack (at One Buc Place) we went and did it.

"Brooks is next. (John) Lynch is right behind him. And Tony (Dungy), too. All of us."

Sapp was a member of the league's All-Decade team for the 1990s and 2000s; defensive player of the year in '99; Super Bowl champion; seven-time Pro Bowl selection; and his 96 1/2 sacks are the second-highest career total for a defensive tackle.

But not unlike his career, Sapp had to overcome a few obstacles that threatened to block his Hall path in his first year of eligibility. The 12th overall pick of the Bucs in 1995 was part of an unusually strong class of first-time eligible players, a list that included Allen, Ogden and Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.

After a long day of debate, the selection committee narrowed the list of 15 finalists to 10: Sapp, Ogden, Strahan, Parcells, Allen, running back Jerome Bettis, Carter, receiver Andre Reed, defensive end Charles Haley and safety Aeneas Williams. It was the fourth time Parcells had been a finalist, and he was debated for nearly an hour on Saturday.

Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., a longtime Tampa resident, and former Browns and Ravens owner Art Modell did not make the final 10.

Brooks said he worried that some voters might focus on some of Sapp's locker room outbursts and on-field bombast and not his play, and he told his former teammate exactly that during lunch Wednesday.

"Yeah, I was ornery when I came to your town," Sapp said. "No doubt about it. I was ornery sometimes when I walked into my own locker room. It was what it was. Hey, sometimes, I was a little ornery. But it all came out in the wash. There was no hatred in my heart. I played a kids game, I got paid a kings ransom and had a ball at it."

In the end, Sapp's accomplishments were just too impressive for the selection committee to ignore, making him a first-ballot choice normally reserved for only the most dominant players in the Hall of Fame.

Sapp said Saturday that he spent a nervous day with his children in New Orleans. He tried to call his co-hosts he works with as an analyst for the NFL Network — Hall of Famers Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders — but they wouldn't answer.

Because the Hall of Fame class is announced in alphabetical order, Sapp was called last.

"You think of everything," Sapp said. "You think of everything that went on during my 13 years, the time I spent in Oakland. Ninety-eight when I was a fat a- - and couldn't rush. There were times I questioned myself on the football field. … It's a long way from Plymouth, Fla. (near Orlando) and that dirt road."

Brooks said the only question he had was whether Sapp's bust in Canton would be bald or in braids as he wore his hair early in his career.

"Braids," Sapp said, "because when that Warren was coming, you had trouble."

Of course, legend has it that those busts talk to each other at night.

"I want to know who I'm beside," Sapp said. "And then I'll tell you about the conversation."


(tampabay.com)

Warren Sapp doesn't have much use for rehashing old stories that don't involve the time he played in a Super Bowl or was so-and-so's teammate at The U.

The NFL Network analyst dropped his microphone in exaggerated disgust during Tuesday's media day coverage when Rich Eisen had the audacity to mention that Ray Lewis once faced murder charges. (You may have heard that story before.)

Sapp seemed stunned that Eisen would dredge up a story that's been dredged up by almost every major media outlet over the past 10 days. Surely there's a statute of limitations on this, right?

I mean, the Harbaughs have been brothers for 49 years. GET A NEW STORY, Y'ALL!

Here's the transcript of the exchange:

EISEN: Moments ago, Ray Lewis was also asked about the two murders that took place in Atlanta. [Sapp drops his microphone in exaggerated disgust.] That can't surprise you, Warren.

SAPP: Twelve years after the fact?

EISEN: Well, I mean, everybody's talking about that right now because Ray is back at the Super Bowl.
[Overtalk]

SAPP: Once you've been tried and the trial is over? Come on.

EISEN: He was convicted of a charge of obstruction of justice back in the day and originally charged with two murders. That's a case that still has not been solved.

Sapp testified as a character witness for his former Miami teammate. "He wouldn't hurt a flea," he said on the NFLN set while giving exasperated stares to people off-camera. "He'd dance you to death."

It's been 13 years since the charges, but whatever. Sapp made that mistake an hour ago. It's now in the past and there's no need to ever bring it up again.


(usatoday.com)

CORAL GABLES — If you were watching closely in the second half of Miami's 90-63 whipping of Duke, you saw a subtle gesture of defiance.

The Blue Devils were bringing the ball up the floor when a few Hurricanes went for it.

They slapped the floor.

Why's does that matter? Well Duke is famous for the move to fire up the crowd in big moments. Miami flipped it on them and it wasn't by mistake.

And that's were it gets a little crazier.

UM sophomore guard Shane Larkin was shooting free throws immediately before the slapping.



"I just heard somebody scream my name," he said. "It was Warren Sapp. He was like like 'slap the floor on D."

It worked, too.

"I think we got the stop," he said with a smile.

Sapp, the 7-time Pro Bowl product of UM, was sitting a few rows behind the broadcasting table of ESPN's Dick Vitale.

Read more about the Hurricanes Huge victory over Duke here.


(sun-sentinel.com)

This just in: Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and "the Evil Empire" didn't make it to the Super Bowl.

OK, maybe you're up on the latest postseason news. But you might have missed the latest on the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where Brady will reside when it's all said and done. Ditto for Belichick.

Not all of the former players and contributors who were recently named to the Hall's list of finalists are that cut-and-dried. Take one of the headliners: Michael Strahan. Great player? No doubt. First-ballot Hall of Famer? We'll get to that.

To me, a player is either worthy of the Hall of Fame or not. Yet, over the years, a different distinction has been made that goes something like this: Yeah, he should be in the Hall of Fame ... but not as a first-ballot guy.

With the Hall entering its 50th year, and a maximum of seven guys going in each year (five modern-day candidates plus two senior-committee entrants), the backlog of former All-Pros on the outside looking in continues to grow. Thus, for a player to get into Canton, he has to be a different caliber of Hall of Famer -- transcendent, if you will. So let's look at the first-year candidates, as well as some guys in the gold-plated backlog waiting for their names to be called.

The list of finalists, in alphabetical order: Larry Allen, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Curley Culp, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Art Modell, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, Andre Reed, Dave Robinson, Warren Sapp, Will Shields, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.

Remember, just five modern-day nominees can be inducted, and that's the maximum, which makes this process quite difficult for the 46 voters.

Who I think will make it:
» Larry Allen » Charles Haley » Jonathan Ogden » Bill Parcells » Michael Strahan

And ...

What my ballot would look like:
» Larry Allen » Charles Haley » Jonathan Ogden » Bill Parcells » Warren Sapp

The difference is that Strahan didn't get my vote ... this year. He's a Hall of Fame player, but I would rank the first-year eligibles in this manner: 1a) Allen, 1b) Ogden, Sapp, then Strahan.

If Allen and Ogden don't make the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, I'll be so shocked I'll run over myself with a tricycle. ... I'll break Chotchkie's rule and wear just 14 pieces of flair. ... I'll make myself watch the Val Kilmer "Batman" -- with director's commentary.

Allen played tackle and guard for the Dallas Cowboys on both sides of the line, and made the All-Decade Team for the 1990s and the 2000s. Oh, and he has a Super Bowl ring. Oh, and he was unanimously considered the strongest player of his time, if not the strongest ever. Oh, and he played 14 seasons.

Ogden was the dominant left tackle of his era. Though the Baltimore Ravens never had a great quarterback during his tenure, virtually every opponent referred to him as the best in the business. (Well, I'd be remiss not to mention the Seattle Seahawks' Walter Jones, who becomes eligible next year. Jones and Ogden were in a league of their own at left tackle.)

Done and done.

Why Parcells? Because unlike DeBartolo Jr. and Modell, there is no real downside to his candidacy as a "contributor," or non-player. He took four different teams to the playoffs -- two to the Super Bowl -- and won two rings with the New York Giants. For a guy who loves horse racing, he's got a track record. Let us not forget that he had the intuition to promote a 33-year-old Belichick to defensive coordinator of the Giants in 1985. They won it all in '86.

Regarding Haley, the 100.5 career sacks and multiple Pro Bowls are nice. The fact that he's the only dude walking the face of the Earth with five Super Bowl rings as a player is relevant. Former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson considered him the missing piece to those great Dallas teams of the '90s. Enough already, voters.

Sapp and Strahan are where it gets difficult. Both have a Super Bowl ring and a Defensive Player of the Year award. Three things make Sapp different from Strahan:

1) Sapp has never been popular with the masses (particularly the media) and tends not to be as "commercial" as Strahan. 2) Sapp was mostly an interior defender, where it is much more difficult to post numbers and be noticed. Yet, he retired with 96.5 sacks. 3) Strahan's career took some time to get going and had some peaks and valleys, despite the fact that he was more productive for a longer period of time. Sapp was dominant early on and had a six-year run as a force from 1997 to 2002.

Bear in mind, it took pass rusher Derrick Thomas five years to get inducted, albeit posthumously. Strahan was solid against the run and still effervesces in the public eye. Will that be enough? You can choose up to five names, and I feel Haley and Parcells should already be in, thus pushing Strahan off my vote card.
Now that we got that out of the way, here's an extended look at the rest of the finalists, including the seniors. Feel free to provide your own thoughts:
@Harrison_NFL is the dropbox.


(nfl.com)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 14, 2013) - Warren Sapp has reached an agreement with Zyppah, Inc., creators of a new, revolutionary treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, to participate in an exclusive videotaped documentary of the testing, diagnosis and treatment of his sleeping disorder.

Super Bowl Champion Warren Sapp, an analyst on the NFL Network and former All-Pro defensive tackle for over a decade, has been struggling with inadequate sleep for years and finally decided to solve his problem. In doing so, he hopes to benefit from better sleep every night and help others, like him, find a viable solution to improve the quality of their sleep.

The testing and treatment of sleep apnea is a serious issue, and the methods offered by Zyppah Inventor and Founder Dr. Jonathan Greenburg have been proven to work for thousands of patients suffering with snoring and sleep apnea.

The Zyppah Sleep Apnea documentary includes consultations between Sapp and Dr. Greenburg, his 3-Night Sleeptest™, and solutions available for the treatment of sleep apnea. Warren is passionate about increasing awareness for Americans to be tested for sleep apnea using the 3-Night Home Sleep Test used by Zyppah. "I'm a big guy, with a big personality and when I was on the playing field, I was known as the 'QB-Killa.' In life after football, I have made a firm commitment to prevent undiagnosed sleep apnea from threatening my life and the lives of millions like me," comments Sapp.

Recent studies suggest approximately 100 million people may have obstructive sleep apnea, and 80% remain undiagnosed. Studies have also found that untreated sleep apnea can lead to numerous health issues including a four times increased risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and stroke. To follow Sapp and his Zyppah Sleep Apnea experience visit www.ZyppahPRO.com or his twitter page, @WarrenSapp.


(yahoo.com)

Bucs great Warren Sapp is now one step closer to the achieving the highest honor in his profession.

Sapp, a former defensive tackle with Tampa Bay, was announced as one of 15 “modern-era” finalists for selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, putting him one final step away from making the cut.

Selections will be finalized with a vote by the selection committee, which meets Feb. 2 in New Orleans.

Missing the cut in the reduction from 27 candidates was former Bucs safety John Lynch, who was thought to be a long shot, at least for this year. Tampa resident Eddie DeBartolo, the former 49ers owner who helped the franchise win five Super Bowls under his direction, made it to the final 15 for the second consecutive year. He hired legendary coach Bill Walsh and enjoyed a run of unprecedented success in the 1980s and 90s.

Sapp is in his first year of eligibility for the Hall, but his resume’ is quite compelling.

Drafted in 1995, Sapp went on to win 1999 NFL defensive player of the year. He finished his career with 96.5 sacks, including 16.5 in 2000, while earning first-team All-Pro four times along with seven Pro Bowl selections.

To earn entry to the Hall a candidate must receive votes from at least 80 percent of the voting panel, comprised mostly of members of media.

Complicating matters for Sapp and others is the fact that no more than five modern-era candidates are permitted to be selected in any year. Sapp faces considerable competition from the likes of Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan, Bill Parcells and others.

Here’s the full list of finalists:
Larry Allen – Guard/Tackle – 1994-2005 Dallas Cowboys; 2006-07 San Francisco 49ers
Jerome Bettis – Running Back – 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams; 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
Tim Brown – Wide Receiver/Kick Returner/Punt Returner – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders; 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles; 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings; 2002 Miami Dolphins
Curley Culp* – 1968-1974 Kansas City Chiefs; 1974-1980 Houston Oilers; 1980-81 Detroit Lions
Edward DeBartolo, Jr. – Owner – 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Greene – Linebacker/Defensive End – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams;  1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers; 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers; 1997 San Francisco 49ers
Charles Haley – Defensive End/Linebacker – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers; 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys
Art Modell – Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns; 1996-2011 Baltimore Ravens
Jonathan Ogden – Tackle – 1996-2007 Baltimore Ravens
Bill Parcells – Coach – 1983-1990 New York Giants; 1993-96 New England Patriots; 1997-99 New York Jets; 2003-06 Dallas Cowboys
Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills; 2000 Washington Redskins
Dave Robinson* – 1963-1972 Green Bay Packers; 1973-74 Washington Redskins
Warren Sapp – Defensive Tackle – 1995-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2004-07 Oakland Raiders
Will Shields – Guard – 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs
Michael Strahan – Defensive End – 1993-2007 New York Giants
Aeneas Williams – Cornerback/Safety – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals; 2001-04 St. Louis Rams


(tampabay.com)

A longtime friend and former teammate of middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders opined that perhaps the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year is retiring from football because he feels his teammates aren't matching his commitment to the game.

Sanders didn't say he was speaking with any inside knowledge from Lewis, though.

"I don’t believe it, I really don’t," Sanders said today on NFL Network. "Ray Lewis could have come to this conclusion if his body isn’t responding as it once did. We all know that he’s been hampered with injuries over the last several years, although he feels like his play is still above standard. I believe it is as well. But when you look around the locker room, Ray is a perfectionist. He’s looking for reality, should I stay around? He’s already made his mark in professional sports, he will go down in history as arguably the best linebacker to ever play this game.

"But when he looks amongst the locker room and doesn’t see the intangibles to win a championship, that will provoke someone to say, 'This is it for me because I can’t continue to put my body through these rigorous training schedules for naught.' That’s probably the conclusion he came to for that reason. I don’t think it has anything to do with his level of play but what’s inside that locker room."

In his remarks today announcing his retirement, Lewis didn't cite that as a reason for his pending retirement after this season.

Although it appears remote that Lewis will pull a Brett Favre and come back or change his mind, Sanders broached the possibility that the defensive icon could have second thoughts. 

“Yes, it depends on how close they get," Sanders said. "If you get there to the championship game and you’re right there on the front door, and you realize we could have had this; just one step away, a couple of intangibles inside the locker room, maybe the guys that were injured, [Lardarius] Webb at the cornerback position, a healthy [Terrell] Suggs and a healthy Ray Lewis, a healthy Ed Reed and a formidable offensive coordinator, he could say I could do this again because we’re almost there. But if they’re not close, then I can see Ray Lewis saying this is a wrap, this is it.”

As far as playing with Lewis, Sanders said it was always an experience where Lewis provided motivation in the locker room.

“When I played with the Ravens, as a defensive player and a 37-year old savvy veteran, you didn’t want to let Ray Lewis down, no matter the situation," Sanders said. "I don’t care if it was practice, you didn’t want to let him down. You wanted to win at all costs and that’s the same thing that these guys will respond to Ray Lewis by him saying this is my last go around."

Former NFL defensive tackle Warren Sapp also weighed in on Lewis' upcoming retirement.

Like Lewis, Sapp is a fellow University of Miami football alum and he recalled the start of Lewis' career for the Hurricanes.

“You can’t say football without Ray Lewis," Sapp said on NFL Network. "He’s deciding that this will be the last one so we’ve all enjoyed it. I was standing there at the University of Miami the first time he walked in a huddle as a 17-year old kid from Polk County, Lakeland, Florida and stuttered the huddle, if you can believe that. He stuttered it out of his mouth. I was like, ‘What? Ray, if you’re going to stand in front of this huddle, you have to call it.’ He went out and had 20 tackles and an interception at Colorado, and the rest is history.”

Sapp said he's never seen a better middle linebacker than Lewis.

“He provides a comfort that you can’t outrun him, you’re not going over the top of him, you’re not going to go through him," Sapp said. "As a rock in the middle of a defense, there is nothing more sane for a defensive tackle like myself to line up and know he’s behind him. If you’re lucky enough to get past me, he’s right there. OK, now what’s next?"

Sapp said this was a fitting time for Lewis to walk away.

“There comes a time when you’ve nurtured and you’ve raised your young ones, as we like to call them in the NFL, and now it’s time for your young ones to carry you," Sapp said. "That’s what they’re thinking is let’s take our great lion to the throne because he’s taught us the way. He’s shown us how to be professionals on and off the field, how to commit yourself to your career, and more than that be a shining example of how to do it day in and day out.”

Sapp said he expects the Ravens to be inspired by Lewis' announcement heading into Sunday's AFC wild-card playoff game against an Indianapolis Colts squad fired up by the emotional return of coach Chuck Pagano after undergoing chemotherapy to battle leukemia. 

“I don’t think it does anything but add to what they’ve already tried to get done, and that’s to win a championship," Sapp said. "When you talk about your captain, your leader, your emotional everything saying this is my last ride, I wouldn’t find a better middle linebacker to take that last ride with. He’s always gotten them up ready to play. Now it’s the last stand and I’d love to be in that bunker with him."


(baltimoresun.com)