Sapp joins Buffaloes' coaching roster
Hall of fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp is headed back to the classroom in order to be more of a hands-on coach for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Deion Sanders added the 51-year-old Sapp to the staff as a graduate assistant, which paves the way for him to work on the field with the team. Sapp, who is taking classes, introduced himself to the Buffaloes as the senior quality control analyst — a mouth-full, he added — but that role would limit his involvement on the field.
“We're building mansions here,” Sapp said to the team when he was introduced by Sanders to the group in a video posted on YouTube. “That's why I'm here, to help you build your mansion.”
The University of Miami standout spent 13 seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay and the Oakland Raiders. Sapp was the 1999 AP defensive player of the year and won a Super Bowl title with the Buccaneers following the 2002 season.
Sapp said he is looking forward to working alongside Sanders.
In 2015, Sapp took a plea deal that spared him jail time in a Las Vegas criminal case involving a scuffle with his former girlfriend at a casino hotel swimming pool.
The incident came months after Sapp was fired as an analyst for the NFL Network following his arrest in Phoenix for assaulting and soliciting a prostitute during Super Bowl weekend. He pleaded guilty to both charges, and the solicitation charge was dropped after he completed a diversion program.
“Warren Sapp successfully completed all of the necessary steps required of anyone who is employed at CU Boulder, including a background check,” Colorado said in a statement issued to The Associated Press. “Furthermore, athletic director Rick George personally met with Warren to clearly articulate the department's standards and expectations, to which he acknowledged and agreed.”