OAKLAND, Calif.—Warren Sapp's 13-year NFL career officially ended when his retirement was posted on the Oakland Raiders' Web site.
Sapp said immediately after last season that he was through playing, but did not file the paper work. The posting on the team's site was the first official word that the star defensive tackle was done.
In January, the 35-year-old Sapp posted a two-word message on his Web site: "I'M DONE!" He had told teammates and coaches his plans after the season finale against San Diego.
Considered the quintessential "three technique" defensive tackle—lining up between the offensive guard and tackle—Sapp made seven Pro Bowls, won the 1999 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award, and led Tampa Bay's dominant defense that won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.
Sapp spent nine seasons in Tampa before joining the Raiders in 2004 as a free agent. He mostly struggled with the Raiders, except for a strong 2006 in which he had 10 sacks, and had become more of a situational player in his final season.
In 2007, he had only two sacks and the Raiders' defense struggled against the run, allowing a league-worst 4.8 yards per carry.
Sapp finished his career with 96 1/2 sacks, 28th overall since the NFL began keeping track of the statistic in 1982, but extra impressive because he played tackle.
His running "feud" with Packers quarterback Brett Favre—who coincidentally announced his retirement Tuesday as well—brought some levity to a sometimes brutal game. Sapp was known as a trash talker, and Favre often went directly back at him with a smile when both the Bucs and Packers were in the same division and played twice a season.
Sapp starred in college at Miami, where he arrived as a tight end and left as the best defensive player in the country. He slipped to No. 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.
That was just one controversy in Sapp's career. In 2002, he nearly ended the career of Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton with a vicious hit while trying to throw a block after an interception. Then-Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp on the field after the game, calling it a dirty play.
Sapp was fined $50,000 for bumping an official in 2003 and was fined $75,000 after being ejected following three personal fouls in the next-to-last game of his career against Jacksonville.
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deerayfan072 wrote:He was just at Mike Alstott's retirement party this weekend and the local radio guy mentioned this was going to happen. He is a HOF in my book
Considering the amount of sacks he generated from the DT position, I'd have to agree with you. It doesn't hurt that he was a defensive player of the year and a Super Bowl champion either.
My favorite Warren Sapp memory - watching him huff and puff out of breath on the sideline in the fourth quarter as the Huskers kept pounding the rock against them during the 1994 National Championship game.
For his body shape the guy was a beast. He's a sure-fire HOFer. So long, Warren.
FantasyMan13 wrote:Man, all these great players retiring recently sucks.
Changing of the guard man. Out with the old, in with the new.
On one hand it's sad, but now hopefully some of the up-and-comers will get more pub, and the more "casual" fams will get to know about players like Albert Haynesworth a bit better instead of the talking heads prattling on about the same ol' same 'ol.
At any rate Sapp will be missed. Watching him and Favre go at it back in the day was great. Two great players who seemed to respect and genuinely like one another locking horns...good stuff.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -- Voltaire
FantasyMan13 wrote:Man, all these great players retiring recently sucks.
It's interesting how, and I don't want to say take for granted, but we almost forget that someday these guys won't be around. Before this season, I had a very hard time imagining what life would be like without Marvin Harrison shagging passes from Peyton Manning. Harrison missing most of the year with an injury made me realize just how spoiled I've been these past 12 years. Don't get me wrong, I love Reggie Wayne and I'm also very fond of Anthony Gonzalez, but there's nothing like Marvin. Seeing Favre, Sapp and Alstott, who was drafted the same year Harrison was, retire saddens me. It reminds me that we really need to appreciate what we have right now. If you are a Packers fan or a Bucs fan, I hope you realize just how fortunate you were to have these guys play for your squads. As football fans, I hope we're all smart enough to realize that the game is a far less exciting and colorful place without these guys.
FantasyMan13 wrote:Man, all these great players retiring recently sucks.
It's interesting how, and I don't want to say take for granted, but we almost forget that someday these guys won't be around. Before this season, I had a very hard time imagining what life would be like without Marvin Harrison shagging passes from Peyton Manning. Harrison missing most of the year with an injury made me realize just how spoiled I've been these past 12 years. Don't get me wrong, I love Reggie Wayne and I'm also very fond of Anthony Gonzalez, but there's nothing like Marvin. Seeing Favre, Sapp and Alstott, who was drafted the same year Harrison was, retire saddens me. It reminds me that we really need to appreciate what we have right now. If you are a Packers fan or a Bucs fan, I hope you realize just how fortunate you were to have these guys play for your squads. As football fans, I hope we're all smart enough to realize that the game is a far less exciting and colorful place without these guys.
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